For Love
by Dayraider
Summary: What lengths will someone go to for love? When a dark past won't stay buried, two couples face the ultimate test. This is the Sequel to For Life, rated M for yaoi and dark themes, and is mostly being written by Gargravarr. I highly recommend you check out his work. He's amazing!
1. Chapter 1

For Love

Chapter 1

"Catch!"

Hands rose just in time to catch the bundle flying through the air. Safely caught, the owner of the hands turned the bundle over, checking it, and turning back to the thrower. "Thanks," he acknowledged.

The thrower regarded the catcher from the bed, where he lay on his back. His shoulder-length coppery-brown hair was splayed around his head where he lay, his shimmering blue eyes regarding the other. He grinned and rolled back onto his stomach, supporting his head with his chin on his folded arms.

The catcher let the bundle of fabric slip into a pre-made space in the suitcase in front of him. Initially, he looked past the brunette on the bed, his eyes unfocused in thought. A thinking sound escaped his lips as a hand ran through his untidy, ashen-blonde hair. "What's left?" he said, more to himself than the other male.

The brunette smiled. "Well, there's the bed, the shower, the walls…" He rocked his head side to side as he listed the items, making the blonde grin. He shuffled across the floor, a disaster zone of discarded clothing and books, to reach the place the brunette lay. "Ah, but if I take the bed, what'll we sleep on tonight?"

The younger of the pair flashed a mischievous grin. "Who said we'd be sleeping tonight?" Almost unconsciously, he began to kick his legs in the air, showing off his bare feet.

Link leant in towards Pit. "Are you making a suggestion?" he whispered, as their lips came painfully close.

Pit responded, stretching forwards to press a chaste kiss to Link's lips. "You're hardly going to set off without leaving me something to remember you by, right?"

The elder shuffled forwards again, leaning his hands against the bed as he leant in closer, enough to kiss his boyfriend properly. Their lips met beautifully, lovingly, a kiss that made both their hearts race and Pit's legs kick faster. Link noticed and sniggered against Pit, eventually breaking the kiss. Both boys were grinning.

"How could you forget little old me?" Link chuckled.

Pit's hand gently crossed to Link's, stroking the back before slipping over it and taking hold. A truly happy smile graced the youth's face. "I could never forget you, Link," he said quietly.

Link turned his hand over, lacing his fingers with Pit's. They held that moment for a while longer, before the elder whispered. "I could never forget you either, Pit. Wherever I am, wherever you are, I'll always find my way back to you." He gently kissed the tip of Pit's nose. "I love you," he whispered to the youth.

Pit smiled for a moment, before his mischievous grin returned. "Love you more," he responded.

"Oh yeah?" Link chuckled. Receiving only a smirk in response, Link pounced on the bed and turned to face his boyfriend, who rolled over and grabbed Link around the chest. Laughing, the pair fell to the soft sheets and gently wrestled for a moment; the blonde had to be a little careful, he knew. Beneath Pit's now-scrunched-up shirt lay a small scar he would carry with him for life, a reminder of his past, and a reminder to his partner that he couldn't be too rough.

The case on the floor was Link's. For most of the week, he'd been packing it. And repacking it. And emptying it all out and starting again. And abandoning it for hours while he contemplated what it meant.

He had to move away for a while.

The last year hadn't gone how either of them had planned. When Pit's former lover, a controlling child abuser, had tried to kill him in a shopping mall, it had lasting effects on their future. Although Pit was completely healed by now, and would only feel the lasting damage left by the gunshot wound if he did something extremely strenuous, he'd been forced to stay out of school for five weeks, missing a serious chunk of his finals. When he'd finally taken the tests, he'd done very badly due to the stress of the year's events. It compounded in him having to retake his final year.

Link hadn't done well either. He'd scored higher on his tests, but not high enough due to worrying about his lover. He hadn't gotten the grades he needed to get into the college he wanted, but he hadn't done badly enough to force him to retake the year.

After much soul-searching and painful decisions, they'd come up with a plan. Link had settled on a college with a good enough reputation for his course, one that would take his grades and he'd get a good qualification out of it, and one that Pit would later join him at when he graduated. They'd have to be apart for a year, not including breaks, but after that, they vowed, they'd never be apart again. They were past doubting their relationship could survive the separation. The only doubt was whether they themselves could cope with being apart for so long.

By now, the pair had locked lips and were messily making out on the bed, eyes closed and hands roaming each other's clothing and under it. Pit's hands were under Link's shirt, stroking his chest and back, whilst the blonde had one hand wrapped in the brunette's long hair, the other cupping his behind within his jeans. He gave one cheek a squeeze.

Pit broke the kiss, giggling. "Hey!" He forced Link onto his back and rolled on top of him, staring down into deep sapphire oceans as he pinned his lover to the bed.

Link laughed. "Something's not right here…" he snickered. He wrapped his arms around Pit, in a single motion pulling him close and flipping their positions so he was crouching over the youth.

Pit licked his lips. "Thought you liked it when I'm above you…"

Link grinned, leaning down to his boyfriend's ear, where he whispered, his hot breath making the younger shiver, "_Uke for life_, Pit… don't forget…" To punctuate this, he nipped at Pit's earlobe.

The youth shivered again, blinking his eyes open slowly to look at Link. He smiled. "Well then, how can I please my seme?"

Link's tongue just poked between his lips as he looked hungrily down at his lover. "For a start, you could lose those clothes…"

Pit purred. "But my big, powerful seme has me pinned helplessly to the bed…" he teased.

Link took the bait, going for Pit's throat. He kissed, nipped and sucked his way down to the youth's collar, where he took the shirt between his teeth and popped the button free. Beneath him, Pit's chest was rising and falling faster, and he could feel the boy's body heating up.

Pit lay submissively beneath his lover as Link worked his way down, removing each button with his teeth, revealing slowly more of his body. When the last button was free, the blonde returned, wrapping his hands around Pit's stomach and attacking his nipples.

Pit's eyes fell shut and a moan escaped his lips. They never rushed the foreplay; it always made the love-making far more intense.

His lover writhing beneath him, Link took a firmer grip on his body as he switched nipples, lapping at it with his tongue to make it erect; when it was firm, he gently nipped at the bud.

Pit squirmed, his head rolling back as he gasped. "Link…" he panted.

Link shuffled forwards a little until he was looking the younger in the eyes. Pit cracked his eyes open, smiling up at his beloved. The blonde quickly leant down, capturing Pit's lips in a breathtaking kiss. Their tongues twinned and licked against each other as Link worked Pit's shirt off his shoulders. He tossed the garment aside, leaving Pit naked from the waist up.

In response, Pit's hands found Link's belt, quickly releasing it and the buttons holding his pants up. He worked them off his lover's hips, Link shuffling his legs to push them the rest of the way down. His own shirt was quickly discarded as well. Crouching above the younger in only his boxers, his erection was obvious. He wanted Pit more than anything.

Still with their lips locked together, Pit slipped his hand into Link's boxers, finding the blonde's extremely hard member. He traced the underside, earning a moan from his boyfriend. They parted lips, panting for breath.

Link gently lowered his hips, grinding his crotch against Pit's, feeling the youth beneath him was as hard as he was. The teen beneath him began to squirm and gasp, his face flushing with desire. He quickly shimmied out of his boxers, crouching fully naked above his lover. Pit looked his lover up and down, grinning.

Letting Pit enjoy the view, Link scooted down his lover's body to his pants, working them open with his teeth like his shirt. The scent of his lover's arousal hit him, turning him on even more. Passion rising, he almost tore Pit's pants down his legs, boxers and all to leave his boyfriend completely bare.

He couldn't get enough of Pit's naked body. He was so beautiful. So proud of his appearance. And so damned hot; he'd grown some of his body hair back, but was keeping himself very neat, just a patch of brown hair above his groin. He wrapped his hand around the younger's solid erection and stroked.

Above him, Pit mewled, shuffling on the bed as he felt his lover pleasure him. He slipped his hand into Link's blonde hair, panting.

Pit's scent was driving Link wild with desire. He couldn't wait any longer. He had to have Pit. He grabbed the lube from the bedside table, leaning back to let Pit watch as he worked the slippery gel over his length. The brunette tried to steady his breathing, but he wanted Link just as much. He wanted to feel complete, as only he could when they made love. He licked his lips at the erotic display above him, his one-and-only preparing to enter him.

Lubed up, Link grinned, crouching back over Pit. He let their erections touch, making his lover pant harder with desire. He captured Pit's mouth again, in a kiss that made the younger cling to him. He ground their erections together harder, which Pit responded to by tugging hard at Link's hair.

They broke their kiss, Pit moaning out Link's name, a sound of want, of need. Link leant down to Pit's ear, whispering huskily, "You're right though, I do prefer it when you're above me…"

With that warning, Link wrapped his arms around Pit and rolled them over so the brunette lay atop him. Pit grinned at him. "Works for me!"

They kissed again, Pit now grinding his hips to rub their solid members together. It made their kiss ever more passionate. All Link could think as he clung tightly to Pit and tasted every corner of his mouth was, _I have to be inside him!_

Parting for air, Pit panted, barely whispering, "You wanna do it?"

Link could only nod frantically. He _needed_ to feel Pit, to make Pit feel good too.

Pit smiled, shuffling forwards and sitting up. He looked up. "Ah…"

Link followed his gaze, noting the door wasn't closed fully. Bad idea. "Oh…"

Pit looked around him, before reaching over the side of the bed without slipping off Link. When he came back up, he held a thick bundle of clothes Link had pulled out of his cupboards. He grinned, leant back and threw the bundle at the door, which closed with a firm _click_.

Link laughed. "That works!"

Pit winked down at his lover. "Now, where were we…"

Link licked his lips, taking hold of his well-lubed erection in one hand. "Right about here…" he said, aiming his member up.

Pit grinned, placing his hands on Link's chest and rising until he was just over the erection. He leant down to kiss Link before lowering his hips, Link guiding his erection straight towards Pit's entrance, where it slipped in with almost no hesitation.

Their bodies joined, the heat of the other rushing through them. Link grabbed Pit's arm and stroked it as he felt himself enter, moaning breathily as the feeling of Pit overtook him. He released his erection and rested his hand on Pit's hip, kissing back harder as the youth lowered himself onto his boyfriend.

In moments, Pit sat in Link's lap, his boyfriend's erection all the way inside him. Link stroked up and down Pit's back, breaking their kiss to look into Pit's eyes. "I love you, Pit," he whispered.

Pit sighed at the feeling, his boyfriend making love to him, opening his heart to him. "I love you too, Link."

Their hands roamed each other's bodies, caressing, touching, feeling. Naked and joined like this, nothing between them, alone together in their own world, they were complete. Their lips touched against and again, their hearts pure and open to each other. Pure emotion filled them, pure love.

Succumbing to desire and need, Pit soon began to move, rocking his hips slowly, just enough to make Link move inside him. He shivered against his lover. In response, Link found Pit's hand and laced their fingers together, both boys immediately holding tight as Pit began to rock faster.

The feeling of being together was like a drug to them. Once it entered their bodies, they needed more. Pit began raising himself up to increase the stroke, allowing Link to slide further out of him before going right back in. The blonde tensed a little, rolling his shoulders on the bed as he felt the pleasure grow. He was breathing deeper, and all he could feel was Pit.

Pit was rocking faster and harder; this was his favourite position, to be above Link and riding him. It gave him control, and Link could still see and touch everything. But he needed more of Link, needed to feel as much of his beloved as he could. He sat up and, barely breaking his rhythm, leant back over Link's legs, taking hold of his boyfriend's knees to support himself. He then began to rock himself even harder, throwing his head back and mewling as his lover's erection struck his prostate perfectly to send ecstasy blossoming through his body.

Link was treated to an incredibly erotic view, as his lover rode him hard. The brunette was moaning without hindrance, his thrusts growing wilder as the pleasure built. The youth's penis, dripping precum freely, bounced with each thrust. A drop of clear fluid landed on Link's belly each time their hips crashed together, both from the impact and from the strike to Pit's sweet spot; each thrust made Pit tighten a little more, his walls holding Link in unbelievably tight, all-consuming heat. He needed to make Pit feel this good.

He took hold of Pit's bouncing erection with his still-lubricated hand, tightening his fingers around it to create even more friction. Pit almost screamed; with each rock up and down, not only was Link sliding into and out of him, but now his member was receiving blissful attention. It slid easily through Link's fingers, the blonde gently massaging the shaft and squeezing the head, teasing the slit every time Pit paused. The fluid gushing out of Pit just made the movement easier and more intense. Suddenly, Pit couldn't stop. He had to keep feeling this from his lover. Each movement was a thrust down onto Link's penis, a thrust up into Link's hand. All he could feel was Link. And it felt incredible. Panting and crying out, unable to form words, he suddenly felt Link caress the inside of his thighs with his free hand, the tingle spreading all through his body. As he was crying out from that feeling, the blonde suddenly breathed, his voice strained from holding back the pleasure, "Cum for me, Pit!" With that, Link lightly squeezed the two precious orbs in Pit's hairless sac.

Pit's eyes shot wide open, screaming in ecstasy as orgasm exploded through his body. He slammed himself down onto Link again and again, bliss burning through his veins from his lover. Link stroked him rapidly, aiming the boy's penis down so that the white seed erupted over his own belly. It took only three of Pit's frenzied thrusts before Link too was thrown over the edge, squeezing Pit's erection as he cried his name. His seed fired up into Pit in time with the brunette's thrusts, sowing the milky liquid deep inside the youth. Pit shivered as he felt the hot semen flow into him, like a warm drink in his belly. His body squeezed Link with each shot, coaxing more fluid out of him, his walls almost milking his boyfriend. In return, Link stroked him harder and faster, both keeping the other's orgasm as strong as they could. As Pit slowed down, Link thrusted up, determined to get it all out as he rode through one of the most intense climaxes of his life. He held tight to Pit's hip, making sure to squeeze every last drop of seed out of him. As Pit stilled, breathless, Link took two more deep thrusts before his own release was over. His body ached. He had released everything he had into Pit, the excess now flowing down his deflating member and Pit's legs. In kind, his belly and chest were soaked with Pit's essence.

Link took a deep breath as he fell still, the only sound their ragged breathing. But it wasn't breathlessness he was hearing from Pit, it was sobbing. He knew, because tears were now running down his own cheeks.

Pit felt Link's hand run up his side, coaxing him to lean forwards. He didn't want to; he knew he was crying. What they had just done was so beautiful and passionate. And he wouldn't feel it again for a long time. But he relented, allowing Link to pull him forwards.

Link met Pit's wet eyes, feeling a pain lodge in his chest. He'd tried to put it to the back of his mind, but there was nothing holding it back now. He had to leave Pit, even though it wasn't for long. They knew this was the last chance they'd have to make love like this. Words failed Link for how wonderful it had been. What he had felt from Pit, nothing compared. And now he felt his lover's heartache, the void growing within him. The place in his heart where Link was.

Pit almost collapsed into Link's arms, his tears flowing freely. No words were spoken; they wrapped their arms around each other and cried. Their hearts were open to each other, and these were feelings that needed to be released. They stroked each other's hair gently, caressing each other's faces, taking in every single detail of their most beloved. They didn't kiss, just holding each other for the longest time. Link didn't even pull out of Pit, just holding them together as close they could be. Naked, pure, defenceless, together.

The sobs soon stilled but the tears didn't. Slowly, they kissed away every tear from each other's faces. They were calmer now, but the ache that had begun would not go away for a long time. All they wanted was to spend as long as they could in each other's arms.

Moving as little as he could, keeping Link inside him, Pit leant over and grabbed the comforter, pulling it over their exhausted bodies. Only then, feeling shielded by the cover, as if it would stop anything pulling them apart, did they kiss, a slow, gentle liplock that they wished only to hold forever. Feelings and raw emotions crossed through that kiss. When finally they had to part for air, Pit lay comfortably atop his lover, feeling Link's arms around him holding him safely. He breathed in the blonde's scent and sighed, drifting off to sleep. Link stroked his lover's hair, trying to feel every strand beneath his fingers. _It'll be months before I hold him like this again. I never want to leave him. We need each other so much._ He placed a kiss amongst Pit's hair, quickly joining his boyfriend in sleep.

…..

Waking up a few hours later, Pit nestled in his arms, Link smiled broadly. The sun was still out, though it was late afternoon. He was almost packed, so he didn't have to rush and do anything.

He stretched his arm, hitting it against something hard left on the bed. He opened his eyes to look at it, discovering his laptop. It was still open, and when he tapped a key the screen lit up immediately, showing a deviantArt page. He couldn't help but grin; it was Pit's.

During his recovery, with nothing much to do except read through the homework Link would bring him and try his hardest to keep up with the class, Pit had resumed his drawing. He'd drawn an entire series using the Kingdom Hearts characters Sora and Roxas, showing Sora being pulled into the Darkness while Roxas went in after him, risking everything to save the brunette. Awash with favourites and comments on the powerful imagery, Link knew what it meant. He was Roxas, the taller blonde, Pit was Sora, the smaller brunette. That day, when Pit had been shot, he told Link that all he could remember, floating in darkness, was Link calling his name, keeping him together. He'd changed his online name after that. He was now 'LinksUke,' a little thing the blonde found touching.

"Wonder how many favourites there are now," a voice whispered from his chest. He glanced down to see Pit had woken up, lying in exactly the same position he'd fallen asleep in. His eyes were looking at the screen, before looking up at Link, a soft smile on his lips.

Link grinned at him. "Too many for me to count. And you deserve every single one of them, it's so well drawn."

Pit giggled. "Yeah… I know I can do better, though."

Link stroked his lover's back, chuckling. "The publishing companies will be tripping over each other to give you contracts!"

Pit laughed softly, embracing his lover and shuffling up his body to kiss him. The youth had long been unsure of what career he wanted to go into, but the art he'd come up with during his recovery had settled it. He was planning to become a manga artist, and from the encouragement his friends had given him, it was clear he would go far. He needed a qualification to get his foot in the door with a major publisher, though, but now they had a plan, he could focus this year on getting the grades he needed to get into college.

Pit relaxed against Link, sighing softly. He closed his eyes.

After a moment, Link whispered to him, "Hey, I still need to finish packing."

Pit made a point of sinking further into Link, grinning. "I know."

Link laughed, trying to disentangle himself from his lover. Pit wouldn't make this easy, clinging playfully to Link, forcing them both to roll around the bed until Pit finally gave in. They laughed at each other, before looking at the mess in the room and the case still to pack. Link found himself willing the case to pack itself, so he could resume rolling around on the bed with his naked boyfriend, but resigned himself to the task after a while.

Pit watched as his lover picked himself off the bed and walked over to the case. Still naked, he crouched beside it and began shuffling clothes within it. He didn't want Link to finish; it was that kind of finality that made it official, that his lover was ready to go. They'd both considered sabotaging the plans, but had been forced to accept it was for the best. Slowly, Pit slid off the bed and plodded over to his lover. His body was a little stiff after making love, and he needed a wash, but all the same he crouched beside Link and helped him make room in the suitcase.

There was almost no small talk as the elder identified the last of the scattered clothes he wanted, folded them up and packed them, the younger squashing the fabrics down into the case to fit everything in. Eventually, Link laid the last shirt on top and folded the lid over; with a bit more force, the pair zipped the suitcase closed.

"All done," Link said blankly.

"Yeah," Pit agreed, equally void.

The pair lapsed into silence, both looking at the case from opposite sides, their gazes heavy. Eventually, Link sighed and looked up at his lover. Pit had proved himself a fighter; he'd had the courage to stand up against his abuser, took a bullet for the one he loved and lived to make a life with him. And yet, right now, Pit had never looked so vulnerable. He had known the last day before he left would be painful for both of them, but he was unprepared for just how much. It was a tightness in his chest, a feeling that part of him was being pulled out, slowly, but surely, and he was fighting to hold onto it. And he knew without a doubt, Pit was feeling exactly the same.

He looked his lover up and down, before finding Pit's eyes regarding him. There was only one way they'd found to deal with this right now, and that was a distraction. Convince themselves they'd worry about it later. They were running out of 'later' though; once Link's parents returned, they would have a meal as a family, maybe play some games, sleep their last night together for a while and then… tomorrow morning…

Link closed his eyes and shook his head. He so desperately didn't want to face reality. Deal with that moment when it came. He let out a sigh and looked back up at Pit. The younger's face was carefully set, one that was designed to be difficult to read. And because of that, Link knew how he was feeling, because it was the same as he felt. He smiled as best he could as he spoke. "Hey… let's take a shower, huh?" They needed to get cleaned up after their love-making, which might be enough of a distraction.

Pit cracked a smile in return, one Link knew well enough. A smile that tried to cover the real feelings, one that was grasping for anything it could. "Sure," he said softly.

The pair stepped quietly through the remaining mess into Link's bathroom. Pit turned the water on while Link gathered the soaps. Everything they were doing, they were strangely conscious of. Mundane things like showering, suddenly felt bigger. As they stood under the water together, lathering soap into each other's skin, they were feeling every line and contour of the other's body. Instinctively their lips met more times than they could count. Every moment to them was precious, and they had silently resolved to remember everything.

…..

The car was packed. Link's suitcase dominated the trunk, with all remaining space filled with as many of the teen's belongings as he had been able to squeeze in. Link himself would be holding two more bags of furnishings for his dorm room.

Link hadn't moved for about five minutes, just looking at the waiting car. Around him were his parents, his good friends Ike and Soren, and Pit. Ike and Soren were discussing the college with his parents, and Soren was clearly interested, judging from the conversation, but Link wasn't listening. He was trying his hardest to work out how on Earth he would be able to get in that car and leave Pit behind. His boyfriend had already agreed not to come with them; it was a very long drive, and he would be fighting tears the entire way and back, something he wouldn't subject Link's parents to. That just made it harder; not only would he not be seeing Pit once he got there, he wouldn't see his boyfriend for the extra time they were driving. It would be three months before he got a long enough break to come home and see everyone. He cringed internally, wondering how he would manage it.

Silently, a warm hand slipped into his own. He gripped it. It could only be Pit.

"I know you don't want to go," his boyfriend whispered. "I don't want you to go either."

Link squeezed Pit's hand tightly, feeling the younger squeeze back.

"But you've got to, Link. It's the best thing for your career."

The blonde drew a steadying breath. "Yeah, I know… but it means leaving everyone for a year… it means leaving you on your own…" He turned to face Pit.

The brunette immediately picked up Link's other hand and held it. Tears were glistening in the corners of his eyes; he was trying very hard not to cry. "I won't be on my own, I'll have Ike and Soren, and my friends at school… We can do this, Link. Just one year, then I'll join you. And we'll never be apart again, we'll be together forever, all right? And you'll see me in a few months. And we'll Skype every night, okay? Every night." He paused, steadying himself. "Everyone here will always be with you, Link, wherever you are."

"You're always in our thoughts, Link," Soren gently added. He and Ike had noticed the pair having a heart-to-heart and decided not to interrupt, but from the shake in Link's voice, the blonde needed reassuring.

"Mine too, and all your friends," Ike added. "Don't forget about us, because we won't forget about you," he smiled.

Link cracked a small smile. He noticed movement behind them; his parents were checking their watches and moving towards the car. It was time to go. Steadying himself once more, he waited until both were in the car, before wrapping his arms tightly around his lover, burying his face in the brunette's hair. A couple of tears slipped down his face, and he felt wetness against his own skin as the youth embraced him too. They were silent for a long minute, just holding each other, neither daring to let go. Link felt like he couldn't, he never ever wanted to be apart from Pit. Finally, when the car started behind them, they pulled back. Both their eyes were red from holding back the freely running tears. Totally without hesitation, they leaned together and their lips met, a drawn-out, passionate kiss that made time around them stop. Everything but what they could feel ceased to exist. They held each other tightly, and held the kiss as long as they could, until Link's mother honked the horn.

As slowly as they could, they parted, not waving in their eye contact. Link noticed Ike and Soren standing silently behind Pit, Soren looking slightly moved by the moment, Ike giving his best reassuring smile. Link gently smiled back at the both of them, before touching his lips back to Pit's for a moment. The brunette blinked slowly, finding it within himself to smile just enough.

"See you soon, Link," he barely breathed.

Finally, Link felt it was okay to let go. He knew in his heart that Pit would be okay without him. Pit was strong, a real survivor. And with Ike and Soren to turn to, he knew his lover would be fine. Gently as he could, he pulled out of Pit's embrace and looked at the trio gathered around him.

"We'll miss you, Link," Soren said softly.

"But we know you'll do fine," Ike added.

Pit said nothing, but just smiled at the blonde. Link could only smile back.

Behind him, the car door opened. Link turned around as his mother leant out from her seat. "Time to go," she said over the rumble of the engine. Link nodded in response, turning and crossing to the vehicle. He opened his door, taking the bags off his seat; Pit and Ike quickly took one each to let the blonde slip into the car. Ike handed back his bag first, stepping back to give Pit room.

As the brunette handed over his bag, his eyes met with his lover's. No words were spoken, but the message was clear. _I love you. I'll miss you more than I can ever tell you. I'll think of you every day. I can't wait to have you back in my arms._ Wordlessly, the younger leant into the car and touched his lips to the elder's, just long enough to convey those feelings. Pulling back, he smiled as he handed over the bag he was holding. Link took it without looking, holding Pit's eyes until the brunette stepped back and closed the door. Even then, he didn't take his eyes from Pit's until long after they had moved off, the trio waving as the car drove away. Only when they turned the corner towards the freeway did Link finally turn around and settle as best he could into his seat.

From the front seat, his father gently turned around and looked at his son. "Don't worry. Pit'll be fine."

Link blinked slowly, not quite looking his father in the eyes. "I know... but I'll miss him so much..."

His father gave a warm, knowing smile. Ever since the news had broken, the day Pit had been... _attacked_ by Zelgius, he had pieced together the changes in his son's life. How Link had brightened in the days after Pit had joined their school, growing considerably closer until Link had deemed it necessary to confess that he had fallen in love with the other boy. He hadn't really expected it, but he had never seen his son so happy as he was around Pit. Nothing he or his wife could say would change their son, this was how he was. Instead, he was proud his son had found someone to love. It meant they had raised their son right, and here he was, taking a big leap into the adult world. When he had gone to college himself, all those years ago, he hadn't had the significant other his son now had, but he could imagine what the teen was going through. And as a parent, he knew all he had to do was be there for his beloved son. Link was growing up fine, and was smart enough to find his own way in the world.

The car pulled onto the freeway and accelerated, beginning to long journey to the next state. Link spent most of the time looking out of the car window at all he'd ever known. He was leaving it behind, but not for good. It wouldn't be long before he'd see it all again. Before he'd see him again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Soren closed the book triumphantly, pushed it aside, and promptly let his head fall into his hands. He groaned for a moment, before stroking his fingers through his long black hair. He leant back in his chair and sighed. At least his homework was done. He glanced down at the worksheet in front of him, filled with complex mathematical symbols, and soon smiled proudly.

Link and Ike had talked him into going back to school, and he had eventually agreed, doing a computing course. He'd picked up enough from Shinon to find his way around a computer… around, through, into without someone noticing. He figured he was okay at it too, so why not get some kind of qualification in it. After all, he needed something to get him further in life.

He'd run away from his broken home at age twelve, a scared, lost young boy possessing nothing more than the clothes on his body. He'd lived rough for nearly six months before Shinon had discovered him sheltering under a freeway bridge, and presented him with an offer. Convinced he had nowhere else to go, it sounded like salvation – a bed and food, and all he asked in return was 'some love.' Too naïve at the time to know, he came to appreciate what 'love' meant to men like him. Shinon didn't break his deal, but kept Soren out of school. He knew now this was to ensure he didn't let it slip to the other kids.

With only elementary school grades behind him, however, he'd managed to prove himself worthy of a shot at a high school qualification, and he intended to make it count.

He checked the clock; six-thirty, right on time. He smiled at that; it meant he could go out with Ike tonight. He reached for his phone to text his blue-haired boyfriend…. Okay, maybe boyfriend was too strong a word, but Ike was definitely closer to him than anyone else. Ike made him feel better about himself; he didn't see the teen as the filthy whore he felt like.

The day Soren had run away, he had taken a good look around at Shinon's outfit, and had nearly thrown up; he had never felt so dirty before. The scale had grown without him noticing. Shinon had enticed more and more boys to make his fucked-up videos, and had turned them into porn stars without them even realising. He had looked long and hard at the shelf dedicated to his own films. The only thing that stopped him piling them up and burning them was the need for a clean getaway.

Ike didn't know the whole story, but neither was he trying to dig it out of him. He was there, to be the shoulder to lean on as he found his feet again. They'd have to take their relationship very slowly; Soren didn't know if he could ever handle intimacy again. But he was willing to give it all a chance, if it meant he could sweep everything under the rug and start again.

He got up from his desk in his rented two-room apartment, plucking his smartphone off the charger. With what he had reclaimed from Shinon, Soren would never be short of money again. He just had to stay out of sight and not attract attention.

Something grabbed his. The phone in his hand let out a _ping_ and a light began to flash. A new email.

The teen flicked the phone on and opened the email.

_What the hell…_

The text was unreadable, complete gibberish. He checked the sender, and saw it was a random string of letters and numbers, a disposable email address.

_Junk._

Without a second thought, he clicked Delete and opened his texts, composing a short message to his blue-haired friend to meet him at the nearby coffee shop in a half-hour. Barely a minute later, the phone let out a different _ping_, and Soren opened a reply to read,

_I'll be there. Ike x_

Soren couldn't help but smile as he gathered his sweater and jacket.

...

Soren regarded his friend over the coffee in his hand. "How did your interview go?"

Across the small table, the blue-haired man's shoulders drooped. He sighed. "Tell you the truth, I think I blew it."

Soren gently set the cup down on the table. "Oh?"

Ike focused on his own cup, spinning it backwards and forwards where it sat. "They kept digging, asking why I wanted to be an agent when I could have been on the field myself, and I snapped at them. It makes me so mad when people remind me! That asshole, he took it all away from me!" He clenched one of his hands into a fist and made as if to strike the table with it, but relented.

Soren quickly glanced around, making sure no-one was looking, before slipping his hand over his friend's and caressing for a moment, trying to soothe him. "Hey… it's okay, I know. He fucked up a lot of things that day. The only thing we can do is to move on, make the best of what we have. I know you don't want to hear it, but being angry with him won't help."

Ike softly ran his thumb over Soren's before removing his hand. They were hesitant to show any physical contact, especially in public, but sometimes they needed the comfort only touch could provide. "I know. That son of a bitch is lucky he's dead, I'd have made his life hell for this." he sighed. "But you're right. He's dead. Being angry with him's useless now."

Soren spun his own mug around for a moment. "You'll find something. I know you will. If they ask next time, just tell them flat out, you still want to be involved but you can never play professionally."

It hurt Soren to see this happening to his friend. He hadn't met Ike before the day in the mall, before Zelgius had struck him so hard in the head with a pistol it had knocked him out and fractured his skull. Although healed, player's insurance wouldn't touch him now. No club would take the risk with him, and the road ahead of Ike had suddenly had all its doors slammed shut. It was only with Soren's urging that Ike had relented in his plan to give up on any career. Instead, he was trying to become a football agent, scouting new talent as it appeared. The way Soren figured it, Ike knew what he was looking for in a football player. If he couldn't get on the field himself, he could probably help someone else get there. But it was hard work; Ike had been riding his football scholarship and had few other qualifications. He'd been interviewing for clubs both locally and into the next state, but nothing promising had appeared yet.

The pair sipped their coffee quietly for a minute or so, before Ike spoke again. "Hey, I'm sorry about last night."

Soren looked up and smiled. "Don't be. You were exhausted from travelling. It was fine."

"But you missed out on going out."

"Really, Ike, it's fine. Link and Pit decided they'd rather spend the time together, we don't need to double-date all the time." The night before, Link and Pit had suggested going out to see the latest Hobbit movie before Link had to move to college, and had invited Soren and Ike along as a double. Unfortunately, Ike had driven to the other edge of the state for an interview that never happened, and had come home furious, refusing to go anywhere.

Ike spun the cup a few more times, before looking up, a slight smile on his face. "Do you still want to go see the movie?" He asked quietly.

Soren smiled back. "I guess… yeah, I'd like that."

Ike broke into a wider smile. "Shall we then?" He offered. Soren nodded in response. Ike quickly finished his drink and waited for Soren to follow. They gathered their coats and left the coffee shop, walking down the street together, not hand in hand, but definitely closer than friends might walk.

...

Link let out a sigh as he looked at the piles around him, wondering where to start. He sat on an unclothed single bed in a white-walled single dorm room on the fourth floor. It wasn't much, but then it didn't really need to be a lot. It was cheap and liveable, if a little bland. The dorm block consisted of individual bedrooms with desks and communal kitchens and bathrooms. Five or six people shared the communal space. He was one of the first to arrive; there were only two other people on this floor and they were in the other wing, sharing a different kitchen. The other five bedrooms around him were currently empty and locked.

His parents had stayed with him most of the day, but there was no point staying over; once Link had registered and gotten his room keys and such, it was up to him to make the place his own. His father had taken them out to lunch, but he'd barely been able to eat anything. His mother had joked that he had better eat all he could get, being a student now, and though Link had laughed, it was a little hollow. He didn't want to eat. He was separated from everything he had ever known. Even his parents would be returning home in a few hours. Even though he knew this was going to happen, had tried to prepare himself, the reality was hard to grasp. He felt alone… very alone. Almost like he'd run away from home.

_Home… I guess __**this**__ is home from now on…_

Link placed his hands behind him on the bed and leant onto them, leaning back and looking at the ceiling. Whitewashed, like the walls, and suspiciously fresh. He smiled slightly. He closed his eyes and pushed down on his hands a few times, testing the bed. He wasn't focused; thoughts were swirling around his head. Everything, no matter how distant, seemed to bring him back to one thought.

Pit.

As he was feeling the bed, he was thinking of the softness of his own… the bed he and Pit had slept on last night, cuddled together, arms around each other… the springiness of this bed didn't compare to his own when he and Pit made love on it…

His beloved's face hadn't left his mind's eye since he'd left. Every detail of Pit burned in his memory. The tears on his cheeks, the shimmer in his eyes, and yet the faint smile on his lips as he stood strong for his lover. It would be alien, being without him for so long. Link hadn't slept alone for more than a single night in months. He always had Pit's warm body curled up against his own, always awoke to his boyfriend's chocolate brown hair… well, days when Pit didn't wake him up in his own, unique way, of course…

He seized the thought to try and distract himself. _Three months without sex! Man, how am I going to cope?!_ He chuckled to himself for a moment, unconsciously feeling the bed again. _I lost my virginity on my bed… no, I __**gave**__ my virginity to him. That was the most magical night of my life. We made each other feel things we didn't know we could feel. And we fell deeper in love with every second._

With a sigh, the blonde allowed himself to fall back on the bed, his arms spread wide and eyes closed. There was no comforter and the exposed mattress was rough; it didn't smell, thankfully. _There's no point laughing it off. It's not the sex I'm going to miss. It's __**him**__. Just his presence, knowing he's near me, that if I wanted to, I could just reach out and touch him… _He opened his eyes, looking blankly up at the ceiling. _Damn…it's been less than a day and I miss him already._

Somewhere in the room, a clock beeped on the hour. Link looked at one of the boxes on the floor. _I really should unpack… if I can clear the desk off and set up my computer I can Skype with him later._

The teen hauled himself up off the bed, looking around his room again at the pile of boxes and amenities he'd brought with him. For the most part, the boxes were sorted, containing related things. They contained a lot of old stuff, and a lot of new stuff his parents had bought him specially. Smiling, he opened the nearest box, containing his brand new bedclothes and comforter. _Man, I'm here… I'm at college! _He brightened a little. It was a big step, one he'd looked forward to for a long time. He set up his bed and flattened the box, moving onto the next and putting its contents in sensible places around his room.

A few boxes in, he reached his course books. There were a lot of them, and they weren't cheap. They centred around one subject – law. Originally he'd wanted to go into accounting, being naturally good at math, but he'd reconsidered after the previous year's events. He'd stood up for Pit, and afterwards realised he was good at it. Standing up for people who perhaps weren't able to stand by themselves.

It sounded like much more of a challenge than accounting, but perhaps more rewarding. Plus, his parents had noted, he'd get paid about the same, probably more! He smiled as he stacked the books on the shelf above his desk, their brand-new covers reflecting the sunlight from the window.

The box of kitchenware was put to one side as Link set up his desk, putting down stationery, bits for his computer and finally, wrapped thickly in protective paper, a photo frame. The picture within it was of two younger boys, eighteen and sixteen, in a Ferris wheel car; the blonde holding the camera as he squashed himself against the grinning brunette. He couldn't help but smile widely as he looked at the photograph; he'd taken it just after they'd gotten onto the Ferris wheel at the autumn carnival the year before, not long after he and Pit had become a real couple. He put the picture proudly on his desk, trying not to lose himself in his boyfriend's wonderfully happy face.

Feeling much happier now, he fished his laptop out of its bag and placed it on the desk. Starting it up, he followed the instructions he'd been given to get it online. In a few minutes, he had the program open, and a few minutes after that, _Pit Icarus is now online._

Even with his finger on the button, Pit managed to call him first. Link grinned and answered.

After a few seconds, there he was. Sitting on his bed, still in what appeared to be the clothes he'd been to school in, his hair neat instead of its usual mess.

Pit.

Both boys smiled at each other for a long moment, before finally Link said, "Hi…"

"_Hi," _came Pit's reply, and it was a surprising feeling for Link to hear his boyfriend's voice. _"You made it then? Didn't get lost?"_

Link grinned. "We could see the place from the freeway as soon as we crossed the state lines, so… yeah, we found it okay!"

Pit chuckled. _"Are your parents still with you, or are they on their way home?"_

"Nah, they're on the road. They said they'd phone me when they got home. It's a long drive."

"_Yeah…" _Pit agreed, lapsing into silence. Link was going to change the subject when he spoke again, _"So, how is the dorm?"_

"See for yourself." Link picked up the computer and aimed the camera around the room for Pit. When he set it down, it was to find Pit giggling. "What?"

"_Did you borrow someone else's room? 'Cos it's __**tidy**__!"_

"Hey!" Link laughed. "Just cos there were a **few** clothes on the floor…"

Pit snorted a laugh. _"More like all of them!"_

Link chuckled slightly. "Well, I've got most of them here now…"

Pit's grin softened and his voice lost its playfulness. _"Yeah… it looks nice. How's the kitchen?"_

"Kinda small, but it'll do."

"_Anyone else there yet?"_

"Not in this wing. I'm here kinda early." Link smiled.

"_Yeah… you make me jealous, y'know? You've still got two weeks until your actual term starts and I'm already drowning in homework!"_

Link chuckled for a moment. "Man… I'm gonna miss that, doing our homework together…"

Pit agreed. _"Not like we're taking the same subjects anymore though…"_

"How's the rest of school going?"

"_A few more guys asked me what I'm still doing here," _Pit replied with a wry smile. _"I just told them I didn't do well enough. I try not to let it bother me, but…" _He trailed off, looking away for a moment.

Link sighed. "Not much you can do about that." Having been skipped forward two grades because of his intelligence, the idea of being held back a year had been very hard for Pit to take.

"_Yeah, I know… Soren's a big help, though. I sit with him at lunch."_

"How's he doing?"

"_He's adjusting… it's taking him time to learn how high school works. He's really quiet and does what he's told, but… some of the kids have spread rumours that he's been held out of school by the state, or some other reason. He acts like it doesn't bother him, but… I don't know…"_

"He'll get there in the end. He's really smart. Besides," Link smiled. "I don't think anyone will ever know how high school 'works'!"

Pit giggled.

The pair fell into conversation, talking about things they'd already discussed, though perhaps not in as much detail. It was just to hear each other's voices, that they were both still there. When they ran out of things to talk about, they stalled for a while, not wanting to separate. Eventually, Pit decided to do some homework, which Link helped him with as much as he could. Even with that done, they couldn't bring themselves to hang up for a while, but eventually accepted they would have to. It didn't devolve into who would hang up first, although it came close. But when Link finally closed down his computer, the room seemed empty, and silent.

The Sun was setting. He wondered about going out to one of the college bars to make some friends, but couldn't quite manage it. Too much had changed, he figured. Time would be better spent trying to make this place feel like home than going out and coming back to a strange room away from everything. He distracted himself by hanging a couple of posters and putting his clothes away. He sat back on the swivel chair and looked around his neatly organised room. It felt better now that he'd made it his own; it had a bit of character instead of just being a white room. He stood up and walked over to the window, where he rested his hands on the windowsill and stared through the glass.

It was nearly dark by now. Outside, the city was calming a little, but it showed no signs of stopping. Being up fairly high, it wasn't so noisy that he felt the place lacked privacy, but it wouldn't let him forget where he was. Far from the familiar suburbs of home, the peace and quiet of his own room. He gave a wry smile to no-one in particular as he looked down over his new home.

By the time he peeled his gaze away from the window, at least a half hour had passed. It wasn't exactly late, but a day's worth of travelling was catching up with him. Almost on cue, his phone rang – his parents had gotten home safely, having met traffic going back. His mother sounded frustrated at his father's driving and the family shared a few laughs, but the conversation was brief. Both his parents wished him well for his first night truly living away from home, telling him they were thinking of him, and then the call was over.

Link sighed and placed his phone on the bedside table. It was barely nine in the evening, but he decided to try to sleep; he got the feeling rest would not find him easily tonight. As he slipped under the stiff fabric of the new bedclothes, his phone buzzed again. Through the darkness of the room, lit faintly by the glow of streetlights from below, he read the new text message.

_Sleep well, Link. Pit x_

He smiled, guessing that Pit was already in bed himself to be sending such a message. With a soft sigh, he also worked out that Pit wouldn't be able to sleep tonight either. He texted back,

_I'll try. You sleep well too, I miss you already. Link x_

It didn't take long for a reply to come back.

_I know, I miss you too. Bed's cold without you. Counting the days til I come visit. I love you._

_I love you too. Time will pass quicker than you think. Can't wait. Sweet dreams._

...

A few hundred miles away, Pit softly closed his phone, reflecting on the words his lover had texted him. He shuffled under the sheets; the bed really did feel colder than usual. He tried to get comfortable, on his back, on his sides, but there was only one position he could sleep peacefully in – atop his beloved, resting his head on his boyfriend's chest and hearing his heartbeat. Eventually, he turned his pillow so he could wrap his arms around it and closed his eyes. He lay like that for hours, trying to convince himself he could sleep peacefully, but these days only Link made him feel safe. He guessed his lover was going through the same thing, missing the familiar warm body pressed against him. For now, they'd just have to cope with these changes as best they could. It had been hard just talking about doing this, but dealing with the actual separation was even harder.

He didn't know if he actually slept that night; when his alarm rang the next morning, he felt as tired as when he'd first gone to bed. But he'd survived the first night. Hopefully it would get easier from here, he thought sleepily, as he pulled a shirt on backwards.

...

"_Key in your account number now,"_ the electronic voice instructed.

Soren pulled the phone away from his ear, tapping a familiar number into the device. He listened again, repeating the process for his security codes.

"_New activity."_

_Huh?_

Soren pulled the phone back again, looking at it with a puzzled expression for a moment. Why would there be activity on his account? He tapped one of the numbers and listened.

"_Most recent activity: seven… days… ago, transfer, two… hundred and… seventy-six… dollars, eight… cents… to account number…"_

Yes, he'd done that last week. He pushed a button to confirm it.

"_One… day… ago, deposit, eight… dollars, twenty-one… cents from account number five-zero-two-two-eight-zero-nine-four."_

_What?_

"_One… day… ago, deposit, one… dollar, twelve… cents from account number five-zero-two-two-eight-zero-nine-four. End of recent activities."_

Soren returned to the main menu and pushed another option. Sure enough, the balance was nine dollars, thirty-three cents higher than it should have been.

"Who the hell paid that in?" He whispered to himself. He sat down at his desk, finding a pencil and a scrap of paper. He wrote the numbers down. Above them, he wrote the account number.

_50228094. Who the hell is that._

The answer wasn't obvious. That wasn't an account he _ever_ paid into. It was the account he'd set up for himself and had transferred what he had reclaimed from Shinon into it. There was a ridiculous amount of money in there; he didn't like hearing the actual amount, because he knew where the money had come from. He'd vowed to share it out fairly, but that was the problem with runaway kids; after they were gone, finding them again was next to impossible. As such, he was slowly withdrawing his own money, in small, random amounts so they didn't draw attention when they were paid into his personal account, never above three hundred dollars. It was going to take a while; he believed he'd worked out the shares fairly, which scared him a little when it came to his own.

His intention had been to claim his own money, sever all ties with the account and donate the remaining money to charity. It wasn't his, and if he couldn't find the kids who deserved it, he'd trust it to someone who would. But as for someone paying _into_ the account, he was at a loss to explain.

_50228094… 5022… 8094, why is that so familiar?_ He pondered. He just couldn't place it, but the numbers… he got the feeling he'd seen them before.

Soren bit his lip. He turned to his computer, opened an internet search and tapped the numbers in. The results were random; he didn't recognise any of them. He rested his chin on his hand.

_Hmm, what if…_

His email program was still open. He switched to it and tapped the same numbers into the search box.

The computer was silent for a long moment, going through the large number of emails. Finally the search finished. And to Soren's astonishment, there was one result.

It was in the Trash folder.

That junk email he'd deleted the day before.

The teen's eyes widened as he looked at the sender's address.

_Ubkhrgccatk50228094. That can't be coincidence._

Wary now, he sat back for a long moment. He had no idea what to do.

_That's a message on its own. Whoever this is, they know who I am. They know I've got this email address… and they know I've got the bank account._ Chills worked their way down Soren's spine at the thought. The sort of people who might know he had the bank account… were the sort of people he would rather not think about.

Someone was sending him an important message, and it wasn't friendly either. It was sinister, even if it was no more than ego-stroking. He knew now why the message was meaningless; it was enciphered. Encrypted. But whoever wrote it would have sent the means for him to decode the actual message himself.

He took a deep breath, shaking himself mentally. He didn't have to work it out. He could destroy the message and act like he'd never gotten it. He got the feeling it would be better for him. But he knew enough about people, and how curiosity would lure anyone in. It would embed itself in the back of someone's mind; a puzzle had to be solved, no matter what the cost. He bit his lip when he realised, if he didn't work this message out, he'd be thinking on it for the rest of the year. He didn't want to know, but he needed to.

He leant forwards, opening the message. The seemingly random strings of letters and numbers dominated the screen. Soren had found cryptography intriguing; Shinon had taken great steps to protect himself online. The traffic he sent over the internet was heavily encrypted, and security in the depths of the 'members-only' sections of his sites was second to none; it was said that the _adult_ sectors of the internet had done more to push the boundaries of online security than anything else. It had allowed Shinon to stay hidden for years. Soren had looked into it one summer, and opened up the directory containing his notes. He began reading through them, comparing the text on the screen.

_Hmm, it's not a Caesar. That'd be too easy… it's gotta be a symmetric cipher, asymmetric is way too hard for someone to work out. Single step stream cipher is most likely, everything encoded at once. That'll mean a simple, obvious key… Key… Where's the key…_

Soren looked past the laptop, snapping his fingers.

_The payments!_

That was the message they were sending. It was nothing more than making the sender feel powerful, placing the key to the puzzle right in front of Soren's eyes. He looked back at the figures on the paper.

_Eight-two-one, one-one-two… Viginère key, got to be!_ The Viginère cipher was an improved version of the Caesar cipher; instead of shifting each letter by the same amount, it moved each letter by a different amount, using a key that looped around. Soren guessed the amounts were the key, eight letters, two letters, one, one, one and two, then repeat.

He looked at the length of the text; it was long enough that he decided working it out by hand was going to be too time-consuming, plus he didn't like the idea of revealing the message one letter at a time. Instead, he opened a text editor, wrote a simple script to handle the letter shifts and paused with his finger on the Enter key. Did he really want to do this? No. But someone had gone to a great deal of trouble to make sure he got this far. They wanted to intimidate him, possibly scare him. Though perhaps it would be worse if he didn't; the unknown content of this message would circle around his mind for months, possibly longer. It would never let him rest, not until he worked out once and for all what it meant. And anyway, they were only words. What could words do to him?

He tapped the key.

A second later, words appeared on the screen.

Cold lightning swept Soren's body as he read them.

_No. Oh God no. This isn't real._

It wasn't as bad as Soren had believed.

It was worse.

_Dear Soren,_

_We are pleased to see you have been making the most of your time. In particular, we hope the money you have accrued has been well invested. Because, it must be said, you represent an investment yourself._

_Every action has a consequence, and your lack of foresight has had quite far-reaching effects. Shinon and his operation represented a sizable income that your actions have removed, and unfortunately we can no longer tolerate this._

_Owing to your reputation and popularity, we must therefore insist you resume your previous occupation. Regrettably, this is not open for negotiation and you do not have the option to refuse. We are aware of your location._

_With regards to the money you have stolen from the business, we are aware that although you have been spending it, a respectable amount remains. However, we have no interest in this any further; you represent far greater value than cash._

_We will be in touch._

As Soren read the final word, he felt something inside him, like a hammer shattering a pane of glass. The chills sweeping his body with each sentence suddenly engulfed him. It was impossible. It could not be true.

His instinct was to read the message again, find the _real_ meaning, but his eyes refused to look. His mind screamed that it couldn't take another reading of the note. His breathing was drawn deep, and he realised his hands were shaking. Ice-cold adrenaline rushed through his veins, cutting him apart inside.

_They're… going to __**force**__ me… to go back to that life?!_ With a shudder, tears suddenly escaped from his eyes, rolling freely down his cheeks. He didn't even notice. _No. No, this isn't happening! This __**can't**__ be happening! I ran away, I left it all behind! No trace, I don't exist! How do they know about me, how?!_

He swallowed, but his mouth had gone dry.

_Does it matter? They know where I am… They know what they want from me. _He choked a sob, shivering. _They don't even want the goddamn money! I can't even buy my way out of this._

The teen hugged himself, shrinking into the chair. There was no way this was false. There was too much information in that message. He closed his eyes. _'We are aware of your location.' No… those bastards, they must be watching me._ More tears leaked from his eyes. He shuddered again. _They're watching me. They'll wait until no-one's around then grab me. Then they'll take me back there, undo everything I've done to get away from it._

His watch beeped quietly, a signal that usually meant it was time for school. _No, I can't leave. They're watching me. Fuck no, I don't want them to see me. Not now, not EVER!_ He placed his hands on his shoulders, trying to rub them comfortingly. It didn't help. _I can't live with them waiting to swoop down on me, drag me off like a piece of meat…_

The idea slipped quietly into his mind, the train of his thoughts reaching its logical conclusion.

_I… can't live with them knowing about me… or knowing that they can just take away everything I worked for… I'd rather die than go back to that life. _He shivered at the thought, but he couldn't deny it. He was trapped. There was no-one to turn to for help, no-one who _could_ help him. The threat hovered over him; they knew where he was. He knew they weren't bluffing; no way they could discover so much about him and not find that out. They were out there, waiting for him.

His eyes opened slowly. With gentle, almost mechanical movements, he stood from his chair without making a sound. There was a strange disconnection in his mind; a feeling he wasn't really there, moving into the kitchen and opening the cupboards. It was as if his body was on some kind of autopilot, his hands exploring the cupboards with surgical precision, moving things aside with the sort of care that suggested he wanted to avoid disturbing someone. Not finding anything, he stepped back, hesitating only momentarily before turning, walking into the bathroom. In here, he found what he was looking for. He carried it all to his bed, placing it on the table there.

Pills.

For a long moment, he stared at the pile. An assortment of different painkillers, tablets for his anxiety attacks, sleeping pills… But they weren't medicines to him now. They were a way out. The _only_ way out.

Mechanically he reached out and began quietly popping the tablets from their sealed plastic carriers, amassing a pile on the table. He kept a bottle of water beside his bed, which he picked up and unscrewed. He took a swig of the water, wondering in the back of his mind if it would wash away these thoughts… After a long moment, they were still there. He blinked slowly, taking another mouthful of water. He picked up one of the pills, not knowing, or caring, what it was. He placed it in his mouth, followed by another, and another, and swallowed, followed by more water.

A silent tear slipped slowly down his cheek.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ike stepped out of the Camry and shut the door. When he and Link had fallen out, he had found getting around to be more troublesome, and had worked a summer job to afford a cheap car. He looked around the school.

He'd safely graduated now, but with his scholarship dead in the water and no job to go into, he needed something to occupy his time. He got on well with the school's football coach and had offered to help plan the team's training. If the school year got started before Ike landed a job, the coach had said he would try to get Ike a place as an assistant and get him involved in the actual training. He'd even get paid for it.

The morning bell rang, signalling break. Ike smiled, thinking of Soren slaving over a computer. He pulled out his phone as he entered the building.

_How was class? Can I see you?_ He texted.

He dropped the phone back into his pocket and walked slowly in no particular direction. Soren usually got back to him in a minute or so.

However, Ike had wandered all the way to Coach Winters' office without receiving a reply. Curious, he plucked the device from his pocket and checked it hadn't gone off silently. Sure enough, no reply.

_Hey, are you okay?_ He prodded. Soren always replied to texts.

He waited another minute or so outside the office without knocking, almost willing the phone to ring. It stayed silent. Odd.

Ike tried to convince himself he was being stupid. Maybe Soren forgot to charge his phone? Maybe he had put it on silent? All manner of reasons went through Ike's mind. It was out of the teen's character, sure, but not impossible. He convinced himself to drop in on the break area instead; he'd probably find Soren with his head in a textbook or something, unaware that someone was trying to grab his attention!

He navigated the halls, passing younger students chatting animatedly with their friends as they went about their day. He reached Soren's break room and glanced through the door.

To his surprise, Soren wasn't there. No sign of that unmistakeable black hair anywhere.

"Hi Ike," a boy's voice acknowledged. Ike looked up to find Marth looking at him. Although he came across as kind of snobbish, Marth was a kind, sensible person, and shared Ike's love of blue-dyed hair.

"Hey Marth, seen Soren today?" Ike asked.

Marth shook his head. "No, I haven't seen him all day."

Ike cocked an eyebrow. That was odd, Soren never skipped school, and had several lessons with Marth. He reflexively checked his phone again. Still no messages.

Marth caught Ike's concerned face and said, "Maybe he's sick today?"

"I dunno…" Ike replied, distracted. "Thanks," he said, leaving the room.

Why would Soren skip school? If he was sick, he'd have phoned or texted someone, he didn't like to be alone. He unlocked his phone, found Soren's number and called it. It rang several times, but cut to voicemail before anyone answered. He tried again, with the same result. Weird.

His feet took him all the way back to the car before he realised it. He paused with his hand on the door handle, wondering, _am I overthinking this?_ It was out of character and unusual, but probably not inconceivable that Soren could have an off-day.

He mulled it over for a moment. He could be overreacting. But if Soren was having an off-day, he'd probably welcome Ike's company. Either way, it would probably be good to call in on him. He slid back into the car and started it, heading off to Soren's apartment.

It didn't take long to get there; the apartment building was just off one of the major bus routes in the town. Ike parked outside and ascended the fire stairs a little faster than usual. He reached Soren's door and knocked. "Hey, Soren?"

No answer. No sounds of movement.

Ike poked the letterbox open and glanced through it. Nothing visible, though the light was on over the stove. Hmm. "Soren?" He called through the box.

Again, no response. Ike flicked his phone out of his pocket and dialled Soren again.

From somewhere in the room, Soren's phone began to ring merrily.

Ike bit his lip, listening as the phone continued to ring until it went to voicemail. Hanging up, he thought this over. _He could be really sick and not able to speak. Or he could be in town and forgot his phone… no, why would he be in town? He doesn't skip school. He wants good grades._ He glanced at the door handle. _If I walk away, I know this is gonna eat at me._ He tried the handle and found it locked. It took him a few more moments to make up his mind. _Soren, I am really sorry about this!_

"Soren! Don't make me break this door down!" Still no response. _So be it._

Despite his injury, Ike had kept himself in shape. He was still solid muscle, and still able to accurately kick a ball through the posts from the other end of the field. But sometimes, brute strength was preferred to precision. He took a step back, raised his leading foot and booted the door.

With a _crunch_, the cheap lock broke apart. The door went flying inwards, stopped from crashing against the wall by the coats hanging from the back. _Jesus, I actually did it._ Ike was starting to have doubts now. _Fuck, what if he really IS in school and Marth didn't see him? I just broke into his apartment!_

…_Focus, Ike. You need to check if he's here._ Ike bit his lip and stepped through the doorway.

The apartment was small, just two rooms – a living area with a kitchen, and a bedroom with a tiny adjoining bathroom. In the living room was a couch, a wide desk with a swivel chair holding Soren's laptop and a TV with a couple of games consoles. Ike had sometimes wondered where Soren got the money from to buy the stuff or rent the apartment – he had no job and had never mentioned his family. He quickly scanned the living area, concluding no-one was here. He noted that Soren's laptop was still on, though, its screensaver bright and cheery – the teen almost always switched it off when he went out. Odd.

"Soren?" Ike called, stepping past the kitchen. As he did, he noticed that several cupboards were open, their contents strewn across the worktops. Soren was almost obsessively neat and tidy. _What the hell is going on?_

The door to the bedroom was pulled to. Ike called Soren's name one more time before pushing it straight open.

Nothing prepared him for what he saw.

Soren.

_Jesus H. Christ. Oh no._

The teen lay on the floor, loosely wrapped in a comforter. He was half-dressed and looked like he'd rolled out of bed, still asleep.

But the stench of vomit and his surroundings told a different story. Ike suddenly felt like he was in a dream, that this couldn't be real. Because what his eyes told him was before him, it didn't add up.

Pills were everywhere. On Soren's bedside table and all across the floor were packets of off-the-shelf and prescription medicines, completely shelled for the tablets. There were maybe five or ten stray on the bed or wrapped up in the comforter with Soren.

"No. Oh God, no!"

Ike was kneeling by the teen's head in an instant, the smell hitting him like a hammer. Without a second's thought he clawed the vomit away from the teen's mouth, leaning in close to check he was breathing.

God. It was so faint.

"Soren! Soren, stay with me! Shit, don't you dare!" Ike yelled. He slapped the boy's cheeks gently. All the colour had gone from his face. His eyes stayed closed.

"Shit!" Ike wrenched the phone from his pocket. He fumbled with it for a few seconds, the horrible stuff on his fingers screwing with the touchscreen as he tried to get into it.

"What the hell's going on?" Came a voice from the living room. Ike's head snapped around to see Mrs. Morris, Soren's aged landlady, step into the bedroom and fix her gaze on Ike. "What on-"

Obviously about to accuse him of breaking and entering, Ike cut her off. "Soren's O-D'd! Get an ambulance, quick!"

The old woman's face went white. "God in Heaven," she whispered. Pulling an old cell phone from her pocket, she dialled quickly.

Ike gave her no more attention, instead remembering his field first-aid training and putting Soren in the recovery position. The boy had already heaved up the contents of his stomach, but he didn't wake up. His breathing was so faint.

Ike kept shaking his shoulder, tapping him, anything to try and rouse him. He was near tears. "Soren, stay with me! Stay with me!"

…..

"Ike Greil," the nurse called from the doorway.

Ike shot to his feet instantly, moving as fast as he could over to her without breaking into a run. His hands were still shaking as she led him out of the waiting area and into the ward. He bit his lower lip when he saw the ICU doors ahead. It etched in how serious this was.

A fairly young doctor stood outside the double doors to the ward, consulting a clipboard with scribbled notes on it. When he heard the ICU doors open, he looked up at the nurse and Ike. He looked like someone straight out of a story, a stethoscope around his neck and a white coat reaching near his ankles.

"Are you Mr. Greil?" He asked Ike. The younger nodded in response. "I'm Doctor Thomas Marley." He held out his hand for Ike to shake, who did so gladly.

"Are you the one who's taking care of Soren?" Ike asked immediately.

The doctor nodded. "Yes. And yes, he is stable for the moment." Marley looked down at his notes. "I must tell you, Mr. Greil, it is extremely fortunate that you found him when you did. Just half an hour later, and I am afraid there would have been no saving him."

A chill ran down Ike's spine. A moment passed in silence as those words sank into him. When he managed to speak, it was barely above a whisper. "But he'll be okay now, right?"

The doctor sighed gently. "He will be okay, eventually. I am afraid there is extensive damage that will take time to heal." He motioned for Ike to step closer. The teen did so, looking through the window of the ICU ward. He blinked in disbelief.

Soren lay on a bed surrounded by monitoring machines. Both his arms were covered in tubes and drips. He was definitely not awake. A nurse moved beside one of the machines, checking his pulse and blood pressure.

"Jesus," Ike breathed. It felt like a dream again, like reality didn't quite fit.

"We were forced to induce a coma to protect him. Many young adolescents who overdose will normally go for painkillers, common, easy to find drugs that are harmful only in large quantities, and are relatively straightforward to purge from the body – we keep the most common agents on hand. Soren, it pains me to say, took a very large cocktail of different drugs. We have identified most of them and his condition is treatable, but he has caused substantially more liver damage than an equivalent dose of painkillers.

"He is extremely fragile at the moment. To use a metaphor, it's a scale that a grain of sand could tip. He needs to be kept sedated and his metabolism precisely regulated for his liver to begin to heal." The doctor sighed, shaking his head. "Overdoses. Nasty thing to do."

Without taking his eyes from the scene, Ike asked, his throat dry, "How long until he wakes up?"

"We will need to keep him sedated for several days. It is possible it will take two weeks for the healing to begin." The doctor paused. When he continued, it was very slowly. "Mr. Greil, I must ask you. Many adolescents attempt suicide as… a cry for help, which is what I thought would be the case here. However, your friend's choice troubles me greatly. This mixture of drugs would not have been treatable within the normal window for painkillers. Whilst I am not a psychologist, this says to me that he truly wished to die." Marley regarded Ike curiously. "Would you know of anything that could push your friend to do this?"

Ike began to shake his head. "No, I..." He paused momentarily, as he considered what he knew of Soren, but he elected not to bring it up. He knew barely anything, and to tell the doctor would break Soren's trust. The teen would survive, and he would get better. If he needed to see a shrink, Ike decided, then Soren alone would be the one to make that decision. "I don't know."

The doctor sighed gently. "I understand. Though if you can think of anything, please let us know. Soren may need help as soon as he wakes." He shuffled through the papers. "Now, Mr. Greil, there is another matter..."

Ike caught the tone of the doctor's voice and turned. "What?"

"Well, it seems that your friend has been going under a false name. We have no records of a 'Soren Niemand' anywhere in the state. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, 'Niemand' is German for... 'Nobody'..."

Ike bit his lip.

"It is not my place to judge on such matters, however we have not been able to find any medical insurance for him, and this treatment will be expensive..."

Ike sighed, seeing where the doctor was going with this. He turned back to the window, looking at the poor teen lying defenceless on the bed. "I don't know his real name," he said after a moment. He paused again, choking on the sight of Soren. He was so bright and happy, he'd been laughing for the first time in years, he had so much hope for the future. What could have destroyed it all and left him lying on a hospital bed, barely alive? Ike knew he had to understand. He owed it to Soren.

He turned back to Marley. "Use my insurance."

The doctor looked taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"You can do that, right? Charge it to my insurance." Even though the professionals wouldn't have anything to do with him, Ike had decided to take out some wide-reaching medical cover after the incident in the mall, should it ever happen again.

Marley regarded him curiously. "Mr. Greil, this is a strange request for a friend..."

Ike sighed, lowering his voice. "He's more than a friend to me."

There was a pause between them, before the doctor nodded. "I see." He regarded his notes again. "Very well, Mr. Greil. I will see what I can do – he was otherwise in excellent health, at least. Will you be standing as his next of kin?"

Ike nodded. "I wanna know the _second_ anything happens to him, day or night, okay?"

"Perfectly understood," the doctor said, noting down Ike's cell number as he gave it. "So if I were to ask you what is going on in Soren's life..."

Ike turned back to the window once more. He sighed at the sight. "Then I'd have to tell you I don't have a clue, but I swear I'm gonna find out."

…..

Link stared. "What?" He managed to speak.

On the laptop screen, the image of Pit sighed and looked away. His voice was strained. _"Ike phoned about an hour ago. He said that Soren hadn't been answering his calls or texts all day, so he dropped in on his place and found him surrounded by pills."_ He looked back to the webcam, his eyes lightly glistening with tears. _"He tried to kill himself, Link!"_

"Oh god..." He breathed.

"_Ike says he found him in time, and they're treating him, but he's gotta be kept sedated for a week. The doctors believe he really wanted to die."_

Link instinctively reached towards Pit's image on the screen, but bit his lip when he realised, lowering his hand. "God, I wish I was there."

Pit didn't reply, which said it all. _I want you here with me too, Link._

Link wanted to ask an obvious question, but decided on another instead. "How's Ike doing?"

"_He's still at the hospital, I think. He's talking about not going for his interview tomorrow to stay with Soren. I wanted to tell him, Soren's in good hands and he still needs to get a job."_

Link smiled softly at his boyfriend. "When you were in the hospital, wild horses couldn't have dragged me from your bedside, even when they told me you'd be unconscious for days. I just had to be there, be with you... 'cause I felt you needed me."

Pit lowered his eyes.

"If Ike needs to be with Soren, don't stop him. Go with him, if you can."

Pit looked up again. _"I asked Ike if he wanted me there with him but he said he doesn't want anyone to see Soren... in the state he's in..."_

Link gently nodded in understanding. He'd felt the same need to protect Pit from prying eyes while he'd been unconscious. He sighed.

There was a moment's pause.

Link finally took the risk in asking, "How well did you get to know Soren?"

Pit sighed, the sound through his headset creating white noise in Link's speakers. _"Not very well. He didn't want to talk about... where he came from. Not even with me. And to tell you the truth, I wouldn't want to tell him my story either."_ He cracked a small smile. _"Ike asked me when he phoned if I knew why Soren would do this. I have no idea,"_ he shook his head slightly, his smile falling as he looked away. He straightened his hair and looked back at the camera.

Link let his cheek fall into his hand, looking back at Pit. "I guess all we can do is wait until he wakes up."

Pit nodded distantly. _"I didn't see it coming… I thought he was okay, he was enjoying school, trying to make friends… Nobody knows why he did it."_

Link mused a moment before replying. "It's hard to predict that someone's going to fall. All someone else can do is be there to catch them."

Pit nodded in agreement. _"Yeah. I'm so glad Ike was there for him."_

"Yeah… You might need to give Ike some space for a day or so, but don't let him feel alone. I'll see if I can phone him, talk to him… God, I wish I was back home now, if I got the train, I could be back by midnight, then the local trains-"

"_No," _Pit cut him off. _"I know you want to… I want you here too, but… there's not much you can do and…" _he gave a tiny smile. _"I don't think I could let you go a second time."_

Link gave a resigned sigh. "You're right." There really wasn't much he could do that couldn't be accomplished with a phone call… and damn, Pit had a point, leaving again would be unbearably painful.

"_I'll do what I can for him, and I'll let him know your thoughts are with him."_

The blonde gave a soft smile. He kissed the tips of his fingers and held them up to the camera; Pit did the same, and as the image on the screen went black with shadow, Link convinced himself he could feel Pit's kiss transmitted digitally over hundreds of miles.

…..

Two days passed. Pit saw nothing of Ike, and his calls and texts went nearly unanswered. The texts that were, the replies were single words. Despite being the shortest word Ike had said, one text spoke the loudest_._ _Can I come see Soren? No._

That had been that morning, before school. If anything, Pit felt Ike's self-imposed isolation was beginning to grate. He refused to see anyone, and to let anyone else see Soren. As far as Pit could see, this wasn't doing either of them any good.

He loaded his bag up at his locker as the students filed past, eager to leave the school at the end of the day. As he zipped the bag shut he made up his mind.

_Soren's as much my friend as Ike's. I don't give a damn if Ike wants to be Soren's protector, I want to see him! And I want to see Ike too. It can't be good for him to be so alone._

He slung the bag over his shoulder and left the school. Sending his parents a text with his plans, he turned out of the school gates. A bus was the obvious option, but not for Pit, so instead he walked the three miles to the hospital.

It took him nearly two hours at a casual walking pace, pausing occasionally to reshuffle his book bag, but that was fine by him. When he arrived, there was less than a half hour of visiting time left, as he had planned. He figured this was a good time; Ike would be getting ready to leave, and being forced to go home, maybe he would be willing to talk.

He was directed to Soren's ward by a kind man at the front desk. He paused at the door, wondering whether to just walk in or take stock. He decided on caution, and looked through the door window.

The room contained half a dozen beds, some protected by curtains. He couldn't actually see Soren's bed, so he quietly slipped through the door and asked the nurse, being directed to the middle bed not hidden behind the curtain.

He thought he'd be prepared for this; he'd been in hospital before, after all, not a million miles away from the state Soren was in. Hooked up to machines and the like, he knew all that. But seeing it with his own eyes, seeing it happen to someone else… before he could stop himself, he let out an audible gasp as he looked at the state of the older teen in the bed.

Ike, sitting in a chair beside Soren's bed, snapped around, his face a cross between surprise and fright. His hands moved hastily, and Pit realised he'd been holding Soren's.

"Pit?" He asked, recognition sweeping his face. "W… what are you doing here?"

The question stung; Ike's tone wasn't pleasant. It was like he expected a solid reason for Pit's presence, that he shouldn't be here. He looked down and adjusted his bag, taking the moment to compose himself before looking up at the older boy. "I… came to see Soren."

An expression straddling the border between disappointment and annoyance took to Ike's face, and Pit suddenly felt like he was treading dangerous ground. "Pit, I asked you not to come…"

Not wanting to spoil things, the brunette sighed. "I know, but… I wanted to see him. He's my friend too." The last sentence, he realised an instant too late, was said a little too defensively.

Ike gave him a curious glance, and in the silence that followed, Pit's gaze was distracted by Soren. The longer glance he got etched in how bad the teen was; machines were monitoring everything, and he was on three IV drips. One tiny detail made it worse; the lack of anything personal, or any adornments around the bed. No flowers, no cards… just Soren and the medical equipment. And Ike.

"Pit, I didn't want anyone to see him," Ike said quietly, and Pit nearly flinched when he heard the edge in Ike's voice. It was barely there, perhaps Ike didn't even know, but it was there all the same. He turned back to the blue-haired boy.

"But I want to, Ike! Please, don't block everyone else out!"

"I'm not!" Ike replied instantly.

"You are!" Pit pleaded. It was difficult to express himself whilst keeping his voice low. "You won't talk to anyone, won't let me see Soren, look around yourself!" He paused, lowering his voice. "Other people are here for you...and for Soren. Link would be-"

Ike interrupted, which completely startled Pit. "Don't bring Link into this!" His voice was almost a growl.

Pit stared wide-eyed at the elder, like prey to the predator he sounded. "Ike-"

"No, you listen to me. You don't know what it's like. You can just turn and fall into Link's arms and he'll make everything all better." Venom had leaked into Ike's voice, and Pit felt himself begin to shake. He'd never heard so much emotion… so much strange anger. "Well I don't! Soren fell, I caught him. I need to see him through this."

A tense moment of silence flitted between them. Pit swallowed with difficulty. "Ike… it's not you against the world…"

Ike's gaze had dropped to the boy on the bed, still breathing gently and silently, unaware of the two around him. "The world did this to him. It might as well have done it to me."

Taking his chance, Pit reached out. He gently laid a hand on Ike's shoulder. The elder tensed, and while he did not knock away Pit's hand, the younger sensed that he wanted to. Treading fragile ground, the brunette lowered his voice to a slow murmur. "You have feelings for him, I know you do. I know what it's like to be so torn up."

It didn't work. Ike tensed up again, making alarm bells ring in Pit's head. "I don't know what I feel, and I can't talk to him about it! So how the hell can you know what it's like, huh?" Pit speedily removed his hand as Ike turned around. Pit felt the beginnings of fear at the anger on Ike's face.

"You can't. You never had to question who you are, you little fag! You don't have to worry about your image, you love it! First day you came to this school, it was like a sign over your head, everyone could see it! Then you started banging Link and… just go do that," Ike snarled. "Get out of here, Pit! Go run to Link!"

Pit had found himself frozen in place as Ike's tirade had begun, his jaw shaking so that the rest of him didn't. He couldn't believe the words that had come from the older boy's mouth. He hadn't wanted to listen to it, but he hadn't been able to move away. And now Ike had finished, a coldness swept his body.

The anger didn't leave Ike's face as those cold eyes looked straight at him. "Just go!" He ordered.

Silently, holding Ike's gaze for as long as he could out of sheer disbelief, Pit turned. One hand clung tight to his school bag, the other latched onto his wrist to keep it from shaking. The silence in the ward made his footsteps echo in his ears as he walked away. He pushed open the door, pausing momentarily to look back. Just like before, he couldn't see anything from here, but he knew Ike was waiting to order him out once more. He closed his eyes to stop tears rolling, stepping through the door and letting it slam shut behind him.  
…..

"Who's that? Hey, no way, _look_!"

"Fuck, you are **kidding**."

"No way in hell that isn't! What're the chances!"

…..

A dark cloud hung over Pit as he walked home slowly. He couldn't believe Ike had said such things to him.

_You never had to question who you are, you little fag!_

A tear slipped down his cheek. That one had really hurt. What was worse was that Ike had _meant_ it to hurt him.

_I get it… he's envious of how me and Link are… that we're so comfortable with each other, and he's not comfortable with Soren yet… and he's never talked about his feelings with Soren… Link told me he loved me long before I… was shot… We were a couple, Link knew what he felt… He's right, I don't know what he's going through. He's thought he was straight all these years, then us, then Soren, he must be really torn up, doesn't want to think he's a __**fag**__ but he likes Soren…_ He sighed audibly. _He won't talk to me, just rage at me. He probably doesn't know __**how**__ to talk… I don't know what I can do…_

So deep in thought was Pit that he didn't notice the car slowly following him at a distance. It was a quiet time of day; most people had long since gone home, the streets were reasonably clear since it was late summer with fall approaching fast.

The unassuming dark-red sedan kept pace with the walking youth as much as possible, the driver keeping the engine slow and quiet. Like a predator stalking its target from a distance. The windows were tinted, giving away very little. It had followed the boy like this from the hospital, more than two miles away by now. The residential area was getting thicker around them. It wouldn't be long now.

An engine snarling behind him snapped Pit out of his thoughts. He glanced behind him to see a dark-red sedan jump the lights at an intersection, barely missing the green on the other side. Curiously, the driver had backed off the throttle as soon as he was clear, but now the car accelerated to cruising speed, as if the driver had been caught at something. Pit narrowed his eyes.

_Why does that look familiar? Wait… was that in the front parking lot of the hospital? Weird…_ As Pit thought, a few hairs stood up on the back of his neck as the car drove cautiously past him, turning down the next side-street. An unnerving feeling filled him; it was that feeling humans got when eyes were on them. That feeling of being watched.

He took a steadying breath, adrenaline nibbling at his nerves. He was feeling a little exposed now, out in the open with no-one around. A couple of cars passed as if nothing was amiss, but his hearing was suddenly sharp, and he could hear the same engine running just around the next bend.

He bit his lip and turned, walking into the alleyways between the houses. He was less than a mile from home now, in a straight line, but all the same he decided to take the alleys. The high wooden fences would be a bit more secure.

He tried to keep himself calm as he navigated the maze. He was aware of his breathing, trying hard to stay in control. He took a wrong turn and turned back, suddenly feeling tense. _What's going on?_ Ancient survival instincts were teasing Pit. He felt like he was being hunted.

He reached the end of the alley maze and gasped, stopping in his tracks. The red sedan was there, waiting for him. Chills swept his body as the door opened and the driver got out.

_Run!_ Yelled his instincts.

Pit ran.

He spun on his heel and ran back into the maze.

_SHIT!_

Someone was walking down the alley he'd just come from, their stride purposeful, their gaze set on him. A tall man, thick of body and arm. And behind him was the driver, similar in build, and just as menacing. He was trapped.

Eyes widening like a cornered rabbit, Pit turned again and ran. The driver was just a bit smaller than the one who had to be the passenger, maybe he could duck around!

The driver reacted, spreading his arms wide to catch the boy. Pit panicked, which seemed to do exactly what he needed. Completely without thinking, he kicked off the ground, his other foot hitting the left-side fence about hip-height and instantly kicked again.

Time around Pit had slowed, his mind and senses in overdrive as he flew through the air. He didn't know how he'd done this, but it might just work.

Then weight shifted around his shoulders, and he realised he was doomed.

The heavy school bag suddenly pulled him down; the driver had caught hold of it.

_NO!_

Pit's flight path ended abruptly as he slammed into the ground. His arm caught underneath him, driving the wind from his lungs. That second of immobility would cost him dearly, his mind said, for as he fought to breathe, he became aware of two men behind him, grabbing him by the shoulders. It was all happening so fast the pain hadn't even registered. He heard no other sounds, no footsteps… no-one had witnessed this. He opened his mouth to scream for help.

Just as suddenly, a hand was pressed to his mouth. The scream he had built up bounced back against that hand, choking him. As he coughed, he realised it wasn't a bare hand, but a hand holding cloth. A sickly scent filled his nostrils. He knew instantly what it was and tried not to breathe, but his coughing fit had seen to that. It was too late.

In his vision, the world spun in five different ways. His body went limp, refusing to do what he told it. Even his eyes wouldn't stay open, and in moments he was falling, deep into the bosom clutch of unconsciousness, blackness all around him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Link hugged Collin and stepped back, waving as he entered the stairwell. Collin grinned and walked back to the crowd outside the building. Link smiled and began to ascend the stairs.

He was on a high today; he'd dropped in on one of the more popular bars and, much to his surprise, found a group of people his age with handheld games consoles all loudly discussing Pokémon. He'd fallen into the group instantly and made some friends. They'd stayed in the bar all afternoon, even allowing Link to go retrieve his own handheld and join in their group battles. It had been great fun. As a bonus, Beth and Talo were on his course, whilst Collin was an artist and Ilia, Collin's girlfriend of about five minutes (her words, he grinned to himself) was on a business course at her parent's insistence, but she yearned to be a veterinarian.

The group had soon decided to move bars when 'the regulars' piled in, and had taken Link to another watering hole that was quieter, a little more expensive, but with a better atmosphere. They'd stayed there until early evening, getting a little tipsy and having a great time. Link got soundly beaten at the game several times, although he scored some chance hits that got the others cheering him. He'd made sure not to miss his nightly Skype date with Pit, of course, and the gang had taken the opportunity to suggest switching bars again. The group had exchanged phone numbers and walked back to the apartment block with Link.

Much to Link's astonishment, when Link had mentioned he had to Skype with someone, Ilia had immediately, _almost_ playfully asked him if it was his boyfriend, and when Link hesitated, he had dreaded the worst. But everyone smiled at him and told him how wonderful it was that he had someone. He had never felt so welcome and accepted. He couldn't wait to tell Pit.

One other person had so far moved into this wing, and Link was beginning to wonder if the others were leaving it too late. But Malcolm… he was a mature student, and whilst he was civil, he wasn't friendly to Link. He kept to himself, to the point of boxing up his cutlery and plates in the cupboards, and locked his door all the time.

Link reached the fourth floor, a little warm but not out of breath. He figured it would do him good to take the stairs, keep moving until he found a pool. He plucked his keys out of his pocket and let himself into his room. Pushing the power button on his laptop, he sat at his desk and switched the lamp on.

The cheery sound of the program signing in made him smile, and he eagerly awaited the sound that seemed to follow moments behind.

Yeah… just a few moments behind…

When Link looked up from rearranging the pens and such on his desk, a good half an hour had slipped past. He scrutinised the computer, checking everything was working. Sure enough, it was, but Pit wasn't online yet. Huh.

He kicked his chair back, rolling across the room to the bedside table. He picked up his phone and dialled Pit's number.

_Huh?_

The phone cut straight to voicemail without ringing.

He tried again with the same result.

_Where's he got to?_

Leaving a voicemail message playfully complaining at his boyfriend for standing him up, Link dialled Pit's home number.

"Hi, Mrs. Icarus?"

The woman on the other end of the line laughed. _"Link, my dear, how many times have I told you, call me Sandra, please! Hey, you can call me 'Mom' if you like, you're dating my son!"_

Link chuckled. "All right, _Mom!_ It's Pit I'm phoning you about."

"_I guessed you would be. He hasn't come home yet."_

"Really? Where is he?"

"_He texted to say he'd be going to the hospital after school to see Soren."_

_Ah!_ Now things made sense to Link. "Thanks… Mom… When he gets in, can you tell him I phoned? If it's late, just tell him-"

"_-that you're thinking of him and you love him, yes, I know!"_ Pit's mother said brightly. _"Everyone around here misses you already, Link, Charles says… oh you don't need to hear!"_

Link gave a soft smile. "I know… I miss you all already. And… Pit more than anything…"

"_Don't you worry, my dear. It's hard, I know, but you'll make it. We're all thinking of you, and can't wait for you to come back for a visit!"_

"I know, me neither."

"_Just hang in there, Link, I'll pass your regards on to Pit. Good night!"_

"Good night Mom!"

Link rolled back to his desk, putting the phone down. He smiled at Pit's mother; he still called her 'Mrs. Icarus' out of habit all the time. Pit insisted on calling Link's parents by their family name, not even daring to try 'Mom' or 'Dad'.

So… Pit was at the hospital with Ike. Well, that explained it; he'd switched his phone off and was, hopefully, having a long, serious talk with Ike. He probably wouldn't get to speak with Pit tonight. Still, if it got Ike talking, that was for the better; he had some things he needed to get off his chest, Link knew. He decided not to disturb them.

He leant back in his chair, wondering what to do – the night was still fairly young and his course still hadn't started, so…

He picked up his phone again, composing a text to Collin.

_Say, what was that bar you guys are at now…?_

_Dang man, did you get stood up? ;)_

_Nah, Pit's with a friend who needs to talk, so…_

_He's a great guy. And you're a legend, too! Come join us. Here's the address._

...

Morning did not find Link ready to face it. Half-dressed, half-under his comforter, arm wrapped over his face to shield his eyes. He groaned as he returned to the waking world, wishing he'd been a bit more sensible the previous night.

Everyone was still at the bar when Link got there, the previous conversations still in progress. They started playing different games, laughing, joking and drinking. It had been a wonderfully enjoyable night. Nothing had changed; Link grinned at that. All of them now knew he was gay and with someone, and they didn't see him any different. He'd made some great friends.

He'd also drunk rather a lot of different beers and spirits, and learned why he'd been advised not to mix his drinks.

Groaning as only a 'morning after' sufferer could, he willed himself out of bed, shielding his eyes from the bright light of day. His door wasn't shut properly. He kicked himself mentally for that.

He grabbed a glass from the kitchen and filled it with water. Going back to sit on his bed, he sipped gently, washing away the headache. It had still been a fun night, but next time, he'd be more careful about what he drank. He snorted a laugh, wondering what he'd blabbed while under the influence; he could remember most of what happened, but not everything he'd said. Heh, maybe he'd started talking about his sex life…

He slapped his own forehead gently, laughing quietly. However, on the subject of Pit, he reflexively checked his phone. Hmm, still no messages. He'd expected a text saying how Pit had gotten on with Ike.

Maybe he'd been too busy? Got back too late? Who knew?

He shrugged, before noticing the clock. It wasn't actually that late in the morning, Pit was probably on his way to school now. After the events earlier in the year, Pit's mother had changed her shifts so she could be at home more often, which was a blessing now as she could drive Pit to school.

He dialled and put the phone to his ear.

Curiously, the line cut straight to voicemail again. His phone wasn't on.

He sighed, chuckling quietly. _C'mon Pit, don't make me go too long without hearing your voice!_

He nursed the drink a while longer, passing time until Pit's mother would get back home, before dialling.

"Hi, Mrs… Mom?" He said with a smile, his headache suddenly coming back a little stronger.

"_Link, hi."_ Hmm, Pit's mother didn't sound her bright and cheery self today.

"What's up?"

"_Well, it's Pit, dear… he didn't come home last night."_

"What?" Link responded instinctively. That wasn't like Pit at all. Wait… Pit was at the hospital… with Ike… Maybe…

"_Well, I was wondering if he'd phoned you or texted you or something?"_

"No, I've heard nothing, his phone's still off. Listen, last night when he went to the hospital, it was to talk to Ike. Ike's having some issues right now, it's about Soren."

"_Oh yes, Pit told me all about that poor boy! He's so lucky to have a friend like Ike there for him."_

"Yeah… well, I think he needed to talk to Pit about some stuff. It might have gotten late, maybe Ike offered to let him sleep at his house, or maybe they stayed overnight at the hospital?"

"_Ah, right,"_ Sandra Icarus said, brightening instantly. _"Well, I guess you're going to phone Ike now. Let me know where Pit is, I assume I'll be picking him up from school this afternoon. And you tell him to phone me and let me know what he's doing!"_

"I will do, 'bye Mom!"

Link hung up and dialled Ike.

The phone rang several times, but was answered just before it went to voicemail.

"_I… wondered when you were gonna phone…"_ Ike cut in before Link could even greet. He sounded rough, and very down.

"Ike? What's up? Is Pit with you?"

"_Pit? After what I said last night? God no…"_

"Hang on Ike," Link said, growing a bit more concerned. His headache pulsed back into life again, making him briefly hold his head and sip more water. "What do you mean, 'what you said last night'? He came to talk to you at the hospital, right?"

"_You mean he hasn't told you? Yeah… and I tore him a new one."_ Ike sounded completely ashamed. _"God I'm so sorry, Link! The shit I said to him, I was so damn angry at everything and I just, I just lost it! I said things I never meant to… And he left…"_

"Wait…" Link pinched the bridge of his nose with his other hand, massaging between his eyes. "You mean, Pit didn't stay with you?"

"_No."_

"Ike… Pit never made it home last night…"

"_Ohhh… shhhhhit…" _Ike hissed into the phone. _"Oh no… he must've…"_

"Ike," Link said, scrunching up his eyes as his head pounded to an irregular beat. His voice became deathly serious. "What did you say to him?"

"_I… I called him a fag… I was so jealous of you… I told him to…"_

Link found he was having trouble controlling his breathing, with the thumping in his head and the knowledge of what Ike had said to Pit. "What, Ike? What did you tell Pit?" He growled.

Through the phone, Ike sighed in shame. _"I… told him to go run to you…"_

A moment's silence passed between the pair as Ike's words sank into Link. After a long time, Link finally spoke. "You're shitting me, right?"

"_I was mad! I was so confused, why Soren would do something like this, he's unconscious with so much I haven't told him…"_ Ike launched into his defence so fast that Link's head began to pound with every syllable.

"Enough!" Link barked, though whether it was at the headache or Ike, he didn't actually know, but both fell silent. Link sighed. "Are you telling me that Pit has been gone **all night**?"

"_Yeah," _Ike said guiltily. _"God Link, I am so damned sorry! I've tried phoning him but it goes straight to voicemail."_

"I know, I've tried phoning him too. Forget the apologies for now, deal with that later. Right now, we need to find Pit."

"_You don't think he actually did what I said, do you?"_

Link rubbed his temples. His headache had given him a slight reprieve and he wanted it to last. "We've both been looking for excuses to see each other. This could be what he needed. I bet his phone's off so I can't talk him out of it!"

"_But… where would he be?"_

Link held his head in his hand, thinking. _The express train would be expensive. Pit doesn't use the money Soren gave him, he said he won't… besides, he'd be here by now if he had. He knows exactly where I am._ "Either the overnight train or a coach, they're cheap enough one way. He doesn't like buses, so he'd be walking everywhere else."

"_Shit… that's five or six different routes, different companies."_ Ike's voice began to sound very remorseful.

"I know. And you're gonna help me phone them. Open up Skype. We're gonna find Pit, you hear me?"

...

He was vaguely aware of flickering images drifting through his mind. Maybe they were unfocused visions he was looking at, maybe memories, it was hard to tell. He'd been drifting in and out of consciousness for a long time, barely aware of anything at all. Or maybe they were all made up.

The images kept shifting, unrelated, like a blink that skipped an hour. Sounds and images blended together, the colours loud, the voices bright. Everything washed together like a painting under water. He couldn't focus on anything; if he tried, everything changed again.

Slowly, oh so slowly, awareness began to return to him. Not all at once; scents came first, a musty aroma, that of old, dark places. Then sound, odd words slipping into his mind, none of them related but distinct words rather than mangled sounds.

Finally, his eyes obeyed and opened.

It didn't change much; there was darkness all around him. He drew a deep breath, reassuring himself that he was conscious. His body was stiff; he'd been laying in one position for a long time. With that thought, he had to stretch.

He was lying on his back, he discovered, uncovered, unrestricted, on a bed that was less than comfortable. As he rolled his shoulders and stretched his limbs, he sensed he was in a modestly sized room; the way the sound of his breathing drifted around him was key.

Reason was the next to show up for duty. _Where the hell am I?_

He pushed himself up, trying to sit up, but as he rose his sense of balance panicked. He felt incredibly woozy and unstable, crashing back down to the mattress instead. _Whoa…_

Memories returned to him.

_I remember…a car… being cornered in the alley… two men? _He touched his mouth, nudging the last memory into place. _They knocked me out with chloroform or something!_ The sharp taste of whatever had been in that cloth lingered in his mouth, and he dared not lick his lips. _Shit… where am I? What do they want from me… hell, who the fuck are they?!_

Reason had sat down at its desk and begun organising the mess of paperwork. _Focus… anything in my pockets?_

Lying flat, he patted his pants. _No phone… no wallet… damn, nothing._

He closed his eyes, changing absolutely nothing, but sighed heavily anyway.

Reason began filing the papers away in their right places. _Wait… it was daylight when… How long have I been out?_

The room was pitch black. No clock displays, no ticking sounds, not even the outline of a window. Outside of himself was a black void.

_There's gotta be a door out of here…_

Pit began to sit up again, slower this time, supporting himself heavily on his hands. As soon as his head left the mattress it began to spin, but he pushed through carefully, pausing when the nausea became too strong. Eventually he pulled himself into a sitting position, the springs beneath him quietly squeaking as he did so. He took a deep breath to steady himself. The nausea was passing.

The next step in this enormous task was to get out of bed. Uncertain of where the floor was, Pit slowly turned himself onto all fours. He reached out and found the edge of the mattress. Shuffling over, he crouched down, trying to anchor himself as he reached down.

He yelped as his fragile sense of balance waved a white flag once more. The arm supporting him on the bed suddenly gave out and he lost his grip, following his other hand to the floor. He discovered the hard way that the bed wasn't far off it, but it was tall enough that he crashed onto it in a heap, very loudly.

"_Get back in bed!"_ Hissed a voice urgently.

Pit's veins turned to ice. He froze, instinct suddenly raising the sensitivity of his ears tenfold as his mind located the source of the voice. It was in this room somewhere. As his hearing focused, he heard breathing that was not his own. It was slightly tense and faster than resting, and it was coming from his left and slightly above him.

After a moment's absolute silence, the voice returned, a little quieter. _"You gotta get back in bed, now!"_

Not knowing what else to do, Pit began to obey. He realised that the voice wasn't an adult; it was too high-pitched. It sounded like a teen's voice, his age or slightly younger, and definitely a boy's. He quietly picked himself up off the floor and began to climb back up onto the bed. His arms shook more than once, but held. His strength was coming back, and his head slowed its spinning.

Once safely back on the squeaking bed, he sighed. Things had slid into place in his mind now; he'd been kidnapped, and it was safe to assume he wasn't alone. This other boy who'd spoken to him, chances were he was in the same boat. He turned his head to face the voice, probably on another bed not far away from him, estimated how loudly he'd need to speak so his voice would just be audible and whispered, "Where am I?"

"_Shh!" _The same voice hissed in return. _"No talking after lights-out!"_

It wasn't an order, but a plea. Pit swallowed silently, his still-sensitive hearing detecting traces of fear in the boy's voice. They were at the mercy of other people, it seemed. Those men who had kidnapped him, they were in charge. They'd brought him here for some reason… and, he swallowed with difficulty, they probably weren't going to let him go until they got what they wanted.

_What could they want from me? I'm just a kid! I go to school, I have a lover, I have hopes and dreams…_

As the teen lay there in silence, he rolled onto his side and curled in on himself, hugging his arms and knees close to his chest. That same thought looped through his mind until it connected with another. _Maybe this isn't about my present, or my future, maybe it's about… my past…_

The boy instantly hugged himself tighter, choking back a sob that earned him another shush from behind him. _Please, no! Don't let it be that! Anything but that!_

He shivered; the room wasn't cold, it was actually pleasantly warm, but he felt exposed. There was no comforter on this bed, as far as he could tell, but he knew even that wouldn't help. He felt vulnerable, and alone. His mind silently cried out for one person.

_Link… please… help me…_

The wallet with his boyfriend's photo inside might be gone, and the darkness would render it invisible anyway, but Pit had sworn he could never forget his lover's face. He pictured Link lying next to him, and for a moment, he could almost feel the blonde's arm round his shoulders, hugging him closely. It was his own arms doing that, but it was enough. After a moment, he stopped shaking, his breathing coming easier.

He hadn't been able to sleep properly this entire week, and he knew for sure there was no way rest would find him easily tonight. Instead, he held onto the image of Link lying beside him, holding him, the warmth of his lover pressed against him, the gentle thrum of his heart, occasional whispers of his name telling him it would be all right. He knew it wouldn't be, but it was enough to save him from panicking. For time indeterminate, he lay silently in the darkness, the same three words looping in his head, a mantra that became a prayer.

_Link… help me…_

...

Link growled and pulled the phone away from his ear. He compared the number he'd dialled with the one on the screen and cursed himself for switching two numbers. He began thumping the keys.

On the other side of the screen, the image of Ike sighed mournfully. It had really hit him, just how much damage his words had done. Why had he said those things? Link was the closest he had to a best friend; the events of the past year had damaged that friendship and perhaps they would never be as close again, but he still respected the blonde. And yet he'd thrown Link's relationship with Pit in the younger's face. Jealousy, envy, outright insecurity, it didn't matter why he'd done it. All that mattered was that he'd forced Pit into doing something foolish, and now his close friend was worried sick.

Link practically slammed the phone to his ear, his face contorting tighter as it rang without answer. Finally someone picked up.

"_Yellow Brick Coach Travel, how may I help you?" _A polite male voice answered.

"I'm looking for my friend," Link said immediately, no pleasantries. "He's not in a good way and is probably heading out of state." He proceeded to give the man the likely route and Pit's description. "I'm really worried about him, his phone's off and he's got nowhere else to turn."

"_I see."_ The man flicked through some papers for a moment, then put the phone aside and spoke to someone in the office. After a time, he came back. _"I apologise for the wait, sir. Unfortunately we cannot disclose our passenger lists to civilians, data protection won't allow it. Your friend may also be using a false name; we've had that before. What I can do, though, is put out your description to all our drivers. If Mr. Icarus is on one of our coaches, the driver will tell him to phone you immediately. How's that?"_

"Can you get the word out to your drivers right away, before they return home?" Link pressed. "Someone said some very nasty things to him last night," he looked sharply at Ike on the screen, "and he's really down."

"_You sound sincere. I'll get straight on the radio and inform our drivers, how is that?"_

"Thank you," Link answered. He knew it was the best offer he would get. Hanging up, he turned to Ike.

Right on cue, the hold music from Ike's speakerphone ceased and a woman's voice thanked him for waiting. He picked up the phone, turned the speaker off and placed it to his ear. Link could only hear one side of the conversation as Ike spoke to the train company customer service woman. He did himself some favours in Link's eyes by being very assertive and insisting that this was the only way. When he was apparently told it wasn't possible, he demanded to speak to a superior, and quickly escalated up the chain until he was speaking to the manager of the entire region. The person he spoke to appeared to be more sympathetic, and they listened to Ike's request. As the elder hung up the phone, he appeared to be more positive.

"_She said she'll put Pit's description out to all station security departments as a missing person, and she asks if you can email them a photo so the camera guys have a better idea."_

Link sighed, feeling a small degree of relief. It didn't make much of a dent in the worry that filled his entire being, but it was some comfort. "I'll do that. Thanks."

Ike paused, seemingly contemplating what he was going to say before deciding to do so anyway. _"Don't take this the wrong way, Link, but you look like hell."_

Link gave Ike a flat look. "I went out last night, and while I was out making friends, drinking and having fun, Pit was facing _you_ and ended up thinking the only way to make everything better was to come to me. So yeah, Ike, I look like hell. I drank too much last night, then I find out what you've done."

Ike held up his hands in surrender. _"I'm sorry."_

"I told you, forget the apologies. I'll kick your ass for this **after** we find Pit."

Link's attention had wandered to the phone, begging it to ring. He couldn't take the risk now, of phoning another company, in case Pit got his message and phoned. He turned back to Ike. "Let me have the address, and try _Wolfhound _again."

Ike nodded and gave it, before dialling the number and placing the phone to his ear.

Link opened his folder of photos and began flicking through; there were a lot of him and Pit together, many with Pit posing suggestively, and a whole folder of explicit images they'd taken for fun. He shook his head and found one of Pit looking fairly ordinary; with luck, he was wearing clothes he usually wore to school, probably similar to what he was wearing last night. He marked the email urgent and sent the photo with it.

Ike caught his attention so he switched windows. On the screen, the blue-haired man shook his head. _"Still too busy."_

Link growled. They'd been at it for an hour by now.

"_Say, Link, you realise that-"_

Whatever Ike was going to say was cut off when Link's phone rang. He snatched it off the desk with the force of a viper strike, slamming it to his ear. "Pit?" He pleaded.

"_Ah… I assume this is Link?"_

The blonde was about to demand the other off the line when he recognised the voice. "Yes?"

"_Simon here at Yellow Brick. I've put out your friend's description, but… here's the thing, if he caught one of our services from five P.M. yesterday right up until midnight, well all of those coaches have long since arrived, most before you phoned earlier. The drivers have told me they don't recall seeing someone like Pit, of course they can't be expected to remember every face…"_

"I understand. So what you're saying is, if Pit got on one of your coaches, he's already in the city?"

"_Exactly. It could be by two hours or ten minutes, our late-night services run faster as there's less traffic. I apologise, but I don't think we can be of any more help."_

"It's fine," Link said with a sigh.

"_Also," _the man said, lowering his voice. _"You didn't hear it from me, but there was no 'Pit Icarus' on any of our passenger lists from last night."_

"I understand, thank you."

"_I hope you find your friend, sir. It's a big city."_

Link thanked the man and hung up. He bit his lip and looked at Ike, who seemed to have caught the gist of the conversation. _"That's what I was going to say, I think he's already there."_

"Shit…" Link hissed. "The bus station's four miles away, the train station's three, if he's just gotten here it could take hours for him to walk. Damn it Pit, why won't you phone me? Just turn your damned cell on!" His words became less directed at Ike and more at the room, before he focused on Ike once more. "I don't get it; even if his battery died he'd find a payphone!"

Ike had that contemplative look again, chewing his lip for a long moment of silence before speaking slowly. _"Link, I know you don't want to think about this…"_

The blonde caught on quickly, immediately shaking his head. "No, Ike, I really don't."

"…_but there is a possibility something happened to him en route…"_

Link took a shuddering breath. "You're right, Ike, I really don't want to think about that!"

Ike became defensive. _"You think I don't know that? It's my damned fault, Link! I made him do this. If something has happened to him, it's on __**my**__ conscience!"_

Link looked the image on the screen directly in the eyes, his own glistening with tears. "Jesus, Ike… what if he **is** hurt? He's never gone a long journey on his own before! Hell, he's never even left the state."

"_I know. Just keep hoping he'll turn up. In the meantime, we gotta find out where he went, and who saw him. I'll keep trying transit companies, you draw up the routes he could have gone."_

Link nodded, understanding what Ike meant. Draw the routes on a map, together with their stops, then try and see if Pit left at one of them. It was going to take hours to piece it together, but it was better than waiting around to see if he turned up.

...

No light entered the room for many hours. Pit couldn't sleep. Or at least, he couldn't tell. It made no difference to him if his eyes were open or closed. He wasn't about to discount lucid dreaming, or in this case, a lucid nightmare. No other sounds were heard as he lay there. Thoughts circled his head; sometimes he was thinking of home, and Link, sometimes about where he could be, sometimes about how he could get out, but most often about what these people could possibly want with him. He couldn't draw any conclusions, and that scared him. He wouldn't know until someone told him.

Time passed and passed. In the dark, seconds, minutes and hours blended together, and they all crawled by. Pit's body was exhausted; sedatives didn't work like sleep, they simply switched the mind off. Rest was different, and he felt like he hadn't slept in days. But although his body was tired, his mind wouldn't let him sleep. He wasn't expecting it to. He was afraid of what would happen when he found out why he was here, and perhaps to the same degree, what would happen if his captors were the ones to wake him up.

In the end, there was no fanfare announcing daybreak and the return of whoever was in charge. No wake-up call, no knocking at the door.

In an instant, the blackness was burned away by blinding light.

Pit winced, covering his eyes with his arm and scrunching them up. A softer groan was heard behind him. He froze when he heard another from in front of him.

_I only heard one voice last night…!_

He swallowed with difficulty, turning to face the mattress and gently removing his arm, using the shadow to allow his eyes to open without pain.

The first thing he saw was what he was laying on; it was an old mattress, bare and worn. It didn't smell, and the part he was looking at wasn't stained, which boosted his confidence a little. Waking up to the opposite would have been degrading.

Blinking away the painful light, he turned to look past the bed. As he looked up, he noticed another bed beside his own, about six feet away. In it, under a comforter, laid another sleeping form. Its short black hair was all that was visible, facing the same way as Pit.

He swallowed with difficulty, realising he'd been right. He wasn't alone in this room, far from it. That made at least two others in here. He continued turning and sitting up.

His head was clear now, not spinning, and thankfully no headache took over; he'd heard drugs like had horrible side effects. Slowly, he eased himself up into a seating position again and took stock of the room.

It was a long, rectangular place, with beds against the white-brick wall. The opposite wall appeared to be stone. Three bare light bulbs hung from wires on the ceiling, each very powerful and bright. There were no windows; the two small spaces where windows should have been were firmly boarded over. There was a feel and taste to the air that suggested it was close to the ground, or perhaps under it, he couldn't be sure, but he felt he was in some kind of basement.

Looking left and right, Pit saw he really wasn't alone in here. To his right was a single bed containing a brown-haired teen boy, presumably the one who'd spoken last night. Past the bed, on the back wall, was a door; for a moment Pit considered running for it when something in the back of his mind assured him it was probably locked. Instead, he looked back. To his left, beyond the one occupied by the black-haired teen, were two more beds. The next one over contained a large shape under its sheets, and a confusing array of hair on the pillow that confused Pit for a long moment until he realised that there were two people in the single bed, quite close together. The end bed had a lone occupant, a redhead.

A few of the occupants were now stirring, and Pit was reasonably confident they were all male. Additionally, as the brunette and black-haired boys rolled back their comforters, they appeared to be quite young.

A rustle of sheets to his right indicated the brunette beside him was up. He glanced around to see, and snapped his head back blushing when he saw the boy was naked.

After a moment, the teen said quietly to him, "Hi."

Pit looked at his hands in his lap. "Hi," he responded. He was suddenly thankful he was actually still wearing his clothes; his abductors could easily have stripped him. That wasn't to say they hadn't and then re-dressed him, he thought dryly.

Springs squeaked as the teen fell back on his bed, presumably dressing. "So, what's your name?"

Pit ignored the question. "Where am I?" he asked flatly

There was an awkward pause.

Pit chanced a glance to his right, turning back when he saw that the boy had made no effort to dress and was sitting on his bed stark naked.

"It's not for me to tell you," the boy finally said, sounding regretful. "My name's RJ."

"Archie?"

"R-J. Just the letters."

"What does that stand for?"

RJ paused. "Nothing now, I guess." He finally noticed that Pit wasn't looking at him. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Aren't you going to get dressed?"

"We… don't wear clothes here…"

Pit gave a resigned sigh. "This is what I think it is, isn't it?" he whispered.

"I… can't say it isn't," RJ said slowly. "I can't say a lot, really. It's best if Mister Richards talks to you first."

_Well… at least now I have a name to go on,_ Pit thought glumly. He guessed it would be worth asking, "Who's Mister Richards?"

RJ didn't reply, but to Pit, the image in his mind was of a puppet whose strings were suddenly slackened. Every part of the other boy seemed to droop alarmingly.

A moment later, it was gone. RJ was suddenly sitting up straight as he had been, but Pit did notice his right hand had latched firmly around his upper left arm and was holding very tightly.

Very quietly and slowly, he replied, "It's… best if he tells you himself… he'll want to talk to you soon…" The boy's fingers began massaging the muscle they rested on. His gaze slowly fell from Pit, his head lowering, but ever so slightly nodding to himself.

Pit understood what he'd just seen, but lack of rest seemed to be stopping his mind making a big deal out of it. This boy was terrified of whoever this 'Mister Richards' was, which probably meant Pit should be too, yet he didn't seem to have the energy to feel nervous.

Soon enough, the door lock clicked. The sound made RJ flinch strongly, his hand gripping his arm even tighter, and Pit felt certain he was very close to shaking. The door was quickly pushed open, and through it stepped an imposing man. He was at least six feet tall and had the build of a lumberjack. The well-worn blue jeans and flannel shirt did little to dispel the image from Pit's mind. His hair was somewhere between brown and ginger, and a respectable beard adorned his face.

The likeness was soon broken. The man's demeanour was nothing like a jovial woodcutter. It made Pit shiver, it was outright menacing. It was authority, command… around him, the other boys seemed to be near enough cowering in his presence, and he didn't even have to look. This man controlled them, ruled over them. The lazy Anxiety had been pulled out of bed and was half-heartedly trying to make its effects known. Pit could only swallow as the intimidating man entered the room. He ignored the other boys, his gaze firmly fixed on Pit.

No words were spoken, but when the man was within striking distance, he stopped, jerking his head once towards the door. The message was clear as anything and needed no repetition. Pit silently slid off the bed onto his bare feet. The man stepped aside, allowing Pit to walk over to the door. He could feel the man's presence over him as he walked out of the room, and when the door clicked shut behind him, Anxiety finally managed to get it right. He now knew he was alone in this corridor, in some house somewhere far away, with one of the men who kidnapped him.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The corkboard on the dorm room wall looked like something out of a cop show; a map was pinned to it, and between a yellow and a green pushpin were several paths in red marker. Red pushpins were placed at intervals along these paths.

Both Link and Ike had been doing heavy research. The yellow pin was the interstate bus station back home; the green was the bus station here. The paths were routes, the pins their stops. The two boys had been looking up possible witnesses; little general store owners, late-night laundromats, fast-food joints, any place close to the stops that might have witnessed a boy being forced off an interstate coach. So far, nothing.

Ike hung up and shook his head, his face a picture of concern. Link swept his hand through his hair, biting his lip as he looked at the clock. It was six PM. Chances were, it was now twenty-four hours since Pit had gone missing.

Link knew he didn't have to wait an entire day to inform the police, but he hadn't wanted to. He got the feeling they'd end up dragging out Pit's past when looking for reasons why he'd run to Link. This was starting to get more serious.

His phone had rung a few times today, but each time had been a travel company returning a call. He gently picked up the device, dialed Pit once more and put it to his ear. Once more, it went straight to voicemail.

"Pit…" Link began, his voice a little unsteady. "It's Link. Please… if you get this message, please let me know you're okay, and safe. If you've run away or something and don't want to tell anyone where you are… I just need to know you're all right. Please Pit, I need to know. Please… I love you so much… I'm worried for you. Please call me." He softly hung up, resting his elbows on his desk and letting his face fall into his hands. He'd left so many of those messages, hoping Pit was listening to them.

Ike had posited the idea that Pit could have run away, not in any specific direction, just _away_. Neither could think of a good reason, although when Ike painfully recounted Pit's face at the hospital, they had entertained the possibility that he'd run off, unwilling to talk to anyone. If he had, that would make their search fruitless because he wouldn't _want_ to be found.

They'd already phoned a few friends to see if Pit was staying over, but nobody had seen him. However, Link knew precious little of Pit's life before they'd met. If Ike had said something that made Pit want to run away, he could have old friends closer to home that he might stay with. Trouble was, tracking him down was going to be next to impossible.

He ended the call to Pit's mother, who by now was very concerned. He couldn't give her any assurances, but eventually convinced her that Pit must have gone to an old friend, somewhere he felt safe. It was more plausible than travelling all the way out to him, with Pit's dislike of buses and limited experience with long journeys; he'd most likely go to the closest person who made him feel safe. Link knew this from experience, but hadn't deemed it necessary to tell Sandra directly.

The alternative was getting the police and others involved. If it was as Link was coming to believe, and Pit had simply run away to clear his head, going to the police would be not just unnecessary, but would drag up a lot of Pit's past, and nobody wanted to go through that again.

He'd tried putting himself in Pit's shoes; imagining what his reaction might be if a friend threw those kinds of insults at him. Whilst his own preference would have been to phone Pit, he wasn't able to rule out the idea of going to his best friend for solitude.

He was worried for Pit, of course he was, but he didn't want to escalate this if it wasn't necessary. He decided to give Pit a little more time. Another day would be enough. After all, none of the staff on any of the routes they'd identified could remember seeing someone like Pit. It wasn't much to go on, but it was becoming believable that Pit hadn't left the state at all.

The day was almost over. Link nearly crushed his phone when he received a text message, but it turned out to be from Collin. With a sigh, he debated the offer; stay here and fret, having done all he could, or go out for the night and talk to other people. Maybe he could get some advice from them.

He'd done all he could, he knew that. Another day without contact and he'd take this to the police. But until then, if Pit didn't want to be found, chances were he wouldn't be. He wasn't the sort to take unnecessary risks, not any more.

Ike logged off for the day, hoping to catch the end of visiting hours to see Soren. Link let him go, both wishing each other the best. He then went outside to meet his group of friends. Much to his astonishment, upon hearing his situation they expressed willingness to help, although he could think of no way they could assist. It was a slight disappointment when the advice they gave were things he'd already considered, and after wandering aimlessly around the city for a little while, the group decided to go to a bar. Link knew he couldn't join them, and instead parted and headed back to his room.

He lay on his bed, reflecting heavily on the day. The walk around the city in the cool evening air hadn't helped as much as he'd hoped. He had to pray they were right and that Pit would reappear in his own time, hopefully tomorrow. He sent one more plea for contact before falling into a restless, uneasy sleep.

...

Pit felt nervous now. He didn't know who this man was, whether he was the 'Mister Richards' RJ had mentioned, but he no longer wanted to find out. He had automatically stopped when the man had paused to close the door behind him, and began using this precious moment to analyse his surroundings.

The hallway was dimly lit, and had the same old, subterranean feel as the bedroom he'd woken up in. It stretched on into the gloom; coming from the brightly-lit bedroom, his eyes hadn't adjusted properly yet. He thought he could make out a door at the far end; if this was a basement, he guessed the staircase was behind it. There were two more doors off this hallway, one either side, with small, dusty windows at the top. A little light from within both rooms spilled into the hallway through the glass.

A floorboard creaked behind him and his moment was past. He glanced behind and saw the man over him once more, escorting him. Quickly, he turned back.

The man's presence weighed on Pit heavily. It made him walk at the same pace and stop automatically in front of the door to his right. The man reached out and turned the handle. Without a sound Pit stepped through.

This room was not as blindingly lit as the bedroom. The light fell over an old wooden table, with two padded wooden chairs either side. In the far corner was a pile of old junk, covered in dust, beside which stood an old, low filing cabinet, its brown paint scratched. The walls were dirty brick and stone. There were two small windows at the top of the far wall, near the ceiling, and both were dark. _Is it night outside?_

As the door closed behind him, he instinctively stepped towards the table. On it was a laptop, open and running, its screen facing away from him. A power cable ran from it to a socket on the wall, along with a network cable. Beside the computer was a pad of paper and a pencil, some faint notes on the page.

The man stepped past him and took the seat in front of the computer. He tented his fingers and finally looked up at Pit, his brown eyes cold, and strangely satisfied.

A moment passed in silence. Every question Pit had wanted to ask since the moment he'd woken up seemed to catch in his throat, unwilling to leave, hiding from this man. He stayed rooted to the spot.

Eventually the man parted his lips with a click that made Pit flinch slightly. If anything, the man began to smile a little, and not kindly.

"Pit." Just one word, not a question, but a statement.

The teen didn't reply, or even move. The man in the chair looked the near-shaking boy up and down, before giving a quiet, affirming grunt. Eventually he looked at Pit's face. The hungry expression in his eyes sent chills through the youth's body. He knew that look. It meant desire for only one thing.

"All you need to know about where you are is that you won't be found here." The voice was smooth, articulate, and well practiced It was also very quiet, but with the kind of quality that made it impossible to miss, and impossible to doubt.

Pit took a deep breath to steady himself. It didn't go well, as he tried to silence his own breathing out of fear. It took a second breath before his nerves were quelled just enough. "W-why-?" All he could manage was a single word. His voice betrayed him and took shelter deep within him.

That one word seemed to be enough, for the man began to smile; a shark smile, one that was happy with questionable deeds done. "Because your fans demand it."

He couldn't bring himself to say it, but his face must have said enough, because the man continued.

"You earned yourself quite a following. There's demand for you. You see, for them, two just wasn't enough."

Pit's heart rose smoothly into his throat, like taking an elevator up, and for a moment his entire body completely froze. Memories he'd wanted to avoid were brought back. _No, he can't possibly mean!_

But he had to. It was the only thing he could be referring to.

Pit clenched his hands, swallowing with difficulty as he was forced to remember. Two videos. Two porn films made without his knowledge, consent or control. The bastard had drugged him with ecstasy; not only had the narcotic made him completely open to suggestion and unable to refuse, but it had wiped his memory of both nights he was taken advantage of. When Link had gone to the police, he'd shown them the site and the digital videos. Pit had forced himself to watch, wanting to know what happened those nights, and had broken down in tears when he saw his body being used, his face happy but his eyes empty. He knew if he'd been fully aware of what was going on, there was no way he'd have consented.

And now he was standing six feet away from a man who wanted him to go through that again.

"N-n-no!" He whimpered, his eyes glistening. He froze when he realized he'd spoken, fearing the response.

To his surprise, the man did not turn angry, but instead grinned menacingly.

"Ah, but I am afraid the choice is not yours to make, Pit. You represent a vast investment of time and money. It is such a shame Shinon was only able to scratch the surface of your potential."

Hearing that name again made the youth's body shake.

The man rested his elbows on the table, his head on his overlapped hands. "A lot of people have gone to an _awful_ lot of trouble over you, Pit. I wasn't sure it was worth it until I saw for myself what you can do."

He unlocked his arms and nudged the laptop; its screen lit up his face brightly in the dim light, making it even more eerie. He then spun the computer around to face Pit.

The youth's jaw dropped.

On the screen was a photo of a bed. The comforter was pushed aside, and atop the mattress laid a sleeping boy. Thirteen or fourteen years old, hairless and golden-skinned.

It was him, on the bastard's bed, not long after their relationship had begun years ago. He was naked, and the angle of the photo clearly showed his young, semi-erect penis and scrotum. He flinched when the image changed automatically, now showing a very intimate close-up of that same area. It was made worse by the fact that the images appeared to be very high quality. The next photo had the camera placed near his knees, clearly showing the area between his slightly spread legs.

"And so on," the man said casually, like this was nothing out of the ordinary. He spun the laptop back to face him. "Shinon received these from your man, Zelgius, as a way of convincing him you were worth the trouble, and I have to say he was right."

Pit felt a surge of bile rise in his throat at the mention of the bastard's name. He fought not to throw up.

The man plowed on, either ignoring or not noticing Pit's trauma. He seemed to be flicking through more photos. "Your appearance has not changed in at least four years. A lot of people appreciate boys like you. A lot, who will pay good money to see more of you."

Pit was shaking now, unable to steady himself. He felt physically ill, now knowing that the bastard had always been taking advantage of him. And this guy seemed to approve!

"Strip."

It was a simple order, one spoken quietly yet it still cut through Pit's thoughts. The teen looked blankly at the elder. In the back of his mind he knew, if he hadn't had his previous train of thought he would have obeyed without question, but instead he found himself unable to believe what he'd heard. Disgust was making him defiant. "N… n-no." He said quietly. He couldn't believe he'd said it, but he didn't regret it.

The man tilted his head slightly, studying Pit. A tense moment floated between them, before he replied, "I believe it would be in your best interests to do as you are told."

Before he could stop himself, Pit replied, "Why?"

The man seemed to contemplate this for a moment, though whether it was genuine or faked, Pit couldn't tell. When he finished, he got to his feet.

Pit's survival instincts made him take several steps backwards until he met the wall behind him. The door was to his left, but it would swing towards him if he opened it. He'd just backed himself into a corner.

The man circled the table, standing on the opposite side to where he sat, with a straight path of less than ten feet between himself and Pit. With each step he took, more ice entered the youth's veins. He was trembling.

The man seemed to find this amusing, eyeing Pit not unlike cornered prey. "No-one here will strike you." It was not said in a comforting way, but simply as fact. The teen threw him a momentarily confused glance.

"Do not misunderstand me, discipline is necessary, but there are far more effective methods than hitting you. Pain is momentary; it can be blocked out until it is gone, and strikes leave unsightly marks on skin. Other methods leave no marks, and last far longer." He gestured around himself. "This place is as close to off the map as you will find. There is no civilization for six miles in any direction. While you're here, you are dependent on us for anything; if you want to eat, to sleep, to do anything you even remotely want to, you will do as we tell you."

Pit's defiance wasn't through yet. "You can't do this to me." His voice wavered a little, and it sounded somewhat more desperate in the air than in his mind.

The man was unshaken. "We can, we will and we already have," he replied simply. "Nobody's going to swoop out of the sky and save you." He gave Pit one of his shark smiles. "Last year, in this state alone, more than a thousand kids ran away from home, some of them for things as stupid as wanting another fifty cents' allowance. Far as anyone cares, you're just one in this year's number." He leant back against the chair behind him, still grinning. "Sure, the cops put on a nice show and say they do all they can, but between murders, rapes, gun crime, gangs, all that other shit they have to deal with, what's the point in sending men out after kids who don't want to be found?" He left a moment to see if Pit would answer, but the teen stayed silent, apparently as he expected. "No-one's going to come looking for you, Pit. While you're here, this is home, we're in charge, so you see, you _can_ disobey, you _can_ defy us, but it won't work out so well for you in the end."

Pit wanted to reply, that last shred of defiance telling him to say that someone _would_ come looking for him, that he wasn't just a runaway to everyone, and that this guy could suck his dick before he'd obey. That thought seemed to trigger a different mentality, one that said _be quiet, don't make a target out of yourself. Defy them, but quietly._ So instead, he swallowed what he would have said and stayed silent.

"Now, I will tell you again," the man resumed, standing up from leaning. "**Strip**."

The tone of the command left no room for argument, and Pit felt his boiling defiance dissipate. _While you are here, you are dependent on us for anything_. He couldn't deny that. He didn't know where he was, and until he worked out some kind of contingency, pissing them off wouldn't be worth it. Who knew what they were prepared to do to him? He had only words to assure him he would not be beaten. If he pissed them off enough, how could he know they would keep to them?

As he raised his hands to his collar, he closed his eyes, trying to blot out the other's presence, but it wasn't possible. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel the man's eyes on him. As if trying to help, he remembered the pictures on the laptop that the man had already seen close-up photos of his body, but the thought humiliated him more than it comforted him.

He unbuttoned his shirt. Slowly, one button at a time. _Silent defiance._ This wasn't a strip show, this was him taking as long as he dared. He sighed as the thought occurred to him. _How am I going to be able to do this again for Link, knowing this asshole has seen me strip off?_ But then Link's face was in his mind, and he knew. Link's love was unconditional. The other boy would forgive him for what these men forced him to do. So long as he never forgot he was doing this to see Link again… he could get through it.

He silently slid his shirt off, the air around his bare torso suddenly feeling cold. He was breathing deeper to steady himself. He unbuckled his belt as quietly as he possibly could, lowering his pants to the ground. He stepped out of them and looked up, wearing only his boxer shorts.

The man's stare was as clear as words. _And those too._

Pit bit his lip and began lowering his boxers hesitantly. He didn't want to let this man see him. This was something only Link was allowed to see and touch. He knew he had no practical alternative, but that didn't make it any easier, and he instinctively turned away as he stepped out of the shorts.

"Face me."

The order was barked immediately, and he was willed to obey. He turned back to the man, now completely naked, and completely defenseless.

"Step forwards."

Hesitantly, and not looking away from the man, he slowly stepped away from the wall.

"Stand there."

He was compelled to walk to a spot in a clear area of floor, about four feet from the table. He stopped, covering himself up.

"Arms by your side."

Again, his attempt to defend himself was overruled. He stood in place, arms by his side, as the man's eyes looked him over. After a long moment, he stepped away from the table and walked behind Pit. The teen followed him as best he could, readying himself to leap onto the table if he tried anything, but soon enough the man was in front of him, not two feet away, examining him in more detail. Their height difference was clear as day now, and he felt like a mouse before a lion.

"Lift your arms up."

He grudgingly obeyed, lifting his arms. The man looked approvingly at his armpits, apparently pleased there was no hair. Pit could guess what would happen next.

As the eyes wandered away, he dropped his arms. Sure enough, the eyes were resting on his groin. The man suddenly sank into a crouch, dropping to Pit's waist level, and began examining the area up close. It made Pit feel dirty, and as much as he wanted to back away from his captor, he found he couldn't move. The order to stay was still as strong as if the man was still towering over him.

It soon got worse. The man's hands, rough and calloused, reached out and examined his neat patch of pubic hair, pulling it out to test its length.

"Shave this hair."

Not content to leave it there, the fingers suddenly gripped Pit's flaccid penis. The boy had to bite his lip to keep from telling him not to. He held the organ straight, apparently measuring it. After a moment, he began to stroke it.

There was no way Pit could get aroused. He ignored the tiny nibbles of pleasure that tried to get his attention. It was easy, but it didn't stop him feeling incredibly dirty, allowing this man, a man whose name he didn't even know, to touch him in such an intimate place.

Try as he might, though, he could not stop his body doing what it was designed to, and against his will he felt his penis begin to harden. He tried to force it to go down, but the man carried on stroking him until it reached full erection. Pit felt ashamed, and betrayed by his body, as the man continued to examine his penis, measuring how far up his belly the tip reached, then bending it down to see how far it pointed out.

As soon as he was done, he moved on to Pit's scrotum, feeling the size of the boy's testicles, even noting how low they hung.

Pit tried to ignore all of this, telling himself it wasn't happening. His thoughts were spoiled by hands being placed on his hips and his body being instructed to turn. His humiliation reached a peak when the man spread his butt cheeks and peered within, examining every part of his body. He did not touch anything else, but it was degrading to think what he was doing. These were parts of his body that he had vowed only Link could see and touch. They were not his own to exhibit any more.

And then it was over. The man stood up, releasing him, and Pit turned around to face him. He was humiliated, but he tried his best not to show it. He had even managed not to blush. If anything, he was angry. He tried and found he was now able to force his erection down, and silently glared at the man, who had leant over the table and retrieved the pad and pencil. For a long moment he made some notes. It made Pit sick to think he was putting numbers to such intimate parts of his own body. The experience was clinical, made worse because there was no way Pit would trust this man.

Finally he looked back at Pit. "That is all for now. Here are the ground rules."

Pit's glare broke. He didn't like the sound of this.

"You will address me as Mister Richards at all times. The other boys will tell you their names. You will also meet Mister Painter and Mister Jones."

_Oh great,_ Pit thought. _Not two. Three of them._

"You will not be allowed out of the house without permission or supervision. If you attempt to escape, you will be found and punished. You will be fed, and you will keep yourself clean and shaven. You will not wear clothes down here. If you are instructed to come up into the house, that is the only time you may wear clothes. While you are here, you will do what you are told without argument, and you will participate without complaint."

Richards did not elaborate what 'participate' meant, but Pit already had an idea, one that made him shiver.

"You will wake up at seven P.M. and be in bed by sunrise. You will not leave your bed or talk after lights-out."

_They work at night,_Pit realized glumly. That's why it was so dark. It was night outside now.

"Once you have filled your quota, you will be returned home."

At this, Pit found he had to speak up. "What's my _quota_?"

Richards waved his question away. "That is not important. All you need to know is that the more effort you put in, the faster your quota will be filled." He gave Pit a piercing stare. "Do you understand the rules?"

"Yes…" Pit replied hesitantly. The piercing stare suddenly intensified, and he realized he had missed something. "…Mister Richards."

"Good," Richards grunted. He put the pad and pencil back on the table and turned to the door. Pit obediently stepped through it when it was opened for him. As he was led back to the bedroom, still completely naked, he thought about what would probably happen now. _Knowing my luck, they'll want to…__**do something**__with me pretty quick, make sure I know what to expect, and that I can't do anything about it…_He'd been humiliated back in that room and although he resented the man behind him with flaming passion now, the thought of what might happen to him if he disobeyed them dulled his will to fight. _Just stick it out as much as possible. I won't be here long. I believe that more than anything; Link will work it out. Even if the cops think I'm a runaway, Link knows I wouldn't do that. He'll do something. He'll find me._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The door was opened and Pit resigned himself to walking into the room. In ways, he wanted to get out of Richards' sight; he could _feel_ the man's eyes on his rear as he had made his way down the hallway, and he knew the man wanted him. The thought sickened him when he realized he would probably be forced to give him what he wanted.

On the other hand, walking into this bedroom was a bad idea, and it was soon revealed correct. The instant the door opened, he sensed every boy snap their heads around to observe, and the first thing they saw was a naked boy walk in, humiliated and ashamed. _There goes dignity,_ he thought wearily.

Sure enough, four pairs of eyes were on him. The most prominent stare, he found looking up, was from the black-haired teen who slept beside him. RJ was looking purely out of curiosity, but the other boy was taking a long, hard look at his groin. Pit tried to stop his face flushing in shame. _How many people are going to end up seeing me naked? After I swore to Link I'm his…_

The one upside was that a comforter had appeared on the bed he had slept on. He knew what he would do now; wait until Richards left, then dive straight under it. Nudity around a single person, he could be comfortable with, but in company, it was very embarrassing. He wondered how the other boys dealt with it, before realizing uneasily that they'd probably been here a while.

As he reached the bed, he noticed Richards was no longer towering over him. He took the chance and glanced behind him. Sure enough, the large man was standing by the door, looking pointedly at the timid RJ. The boy was already walking across to the door, but Pit could tell he was shaking. Not from cold. The boy was afraid.

Richards escorted the boy out of the room and closed the door behind him. The snap of the latch seemed very final. He sat down on the bed, unconsciously carrying out his decision to cover up, his mind running through possibilities of what might be happening now. Richards hadn't said a word, and yet RJ knew what was required. In fact, he knew enough to be scared about what was to happen. The thought chilled Pit as he backed up against the bed, sitting on it and enacting his plan to cover himself.

"Hey there," said a voice behind him. Pit turned around to see the black-haired teen smiling at him.

"Hi," Pit replied quietly.

"What's your name?"

Pit didn't reply, instead giving the other boy a blank look. He wasn't here to make friends, after all. He wasn't supposed to be here in the first place.

However, this didn't discourage the teen. "I'm Robyn. That's Robyn with a 'y', by the way," the boy clarified, still grinning.

"Hi," Pit repeated dully. Spelling the boy's name right was the last of his concerns..

"You're Pit, aren't you?"

Caught off-guard, the brunette pondered how he knew, then dropped his eyes and sighed when he realized. "You've seen my videos?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah… you're really good."

Anger flared in Pit. He whipped his gaze up. "I was drugged. You understand? The bastards who shot those videos made me shave so I looked like a kid, dosed me up on ecstasy and made me do a fucking _threesome_. Don't you _ever_ say that again." The last sentence came out as a growl, his upper lip shaking with fury.

Robyn quickly threw up his hands in surrender. "Whoa. Sorry."

Pit turned back, looking down at his hands in his lap.

"I really am sorry," Robyn continued. "I had no idea."

Pit sighed, the fire of his anger dissipating. "I know. I look so damned into it. What's worse is that I can't remember anything, just flickers." He looked back to the boy, his voice heavier. "I don't want to be here. I thought I'd left it all behind."

Robyn looked at him thoughtfully. "I don't think any of us _want_ to be here… although it's better than the alternatives," he said quietly.

Pit looked past him to the other boys still in the room. The pair on the bed were paying no attention, still under the sheets. In fact, only one head of hair was visible, a blonde, with a lump in the comforter over him. He gave a flat look when he realized what was going on under it; the other boy's head was rolling around the pillow, a look of bliss on his face.

Down the end, Pit realized the redhead hadn't even acknowledged his existence, not even when he'd walked into the room. He lay in bed, his eyes closed, apparently feigning sleep.

He looked back at Robyn, who took that as a prompt. "You met RJ. The two currently exchanging oral on the bed are Ben, who's blonde, and Jack, with black hair." Neither boy reacted to their names being mentioned. Robyn continued. "We're all runaways, apart from RJ. Want to hear our stories?"

Pit shuffled his hands in his lap. He didn't know what else to do. "I guess."

"RJ's been here the longest. He's never told us outright, but what I know is that the guy Richards? He's RJ's uncle. His parents run some international business, they loved the company more than him, ran off to Europe to open a new branch or something and left him with his uncle." Robyn looked a little sad. "He was ten at the time. His uncle started touching him the year before. He's seventeen now."

He left the rest unsaid, which Pit was glad of. He could reach his own conclusions; it sounded like RJ had been subjected to years of horrible abuse with his parents no longer around, and feared his uncle. "So that's why he looked so scared?"

Robyn nodded. "Yeah. Mister Richards likes to fuck him as soon as he wakes up, apparently 'cos that's when he's the tightest."

Pit shivered. Robyn's blunt delivery of that fact just made it worse; he was clearly desensitized to sex, and saying something like that suggested to Pit that they'd all seen far worse. He knew that sex soon after waking could be very pleasant, but it needed careful preparation. He guessed that from the fear RJ showed, Richards wasn't that gentle.

"Ben's parents split up when he was fourteen," Robyn carried on. The two boys were still at it, the blonde, Ben, now whimpering quietly. "Things got really bitter. His mom tried to prove she was better than his dad, his dad tried to prove he was better than his mom, so they used him to make themselves look the better parent." Robyn shrugged. "Eventually he got sick of it all and ran away. He's sixteen now, been here ever since."

_Damn,_ Pit thought.

"He's not the worst. Jack's mom was on her own and had some psych issues. He says one day she just snapped, told him he wasn't her son and just left. He never found her, ran out of money and wound up on the street."

A quiet moment passed as Pit considered this. That was far worse than anything he could imagine, to be rejected by a parent. "Wow…" he whispered sadly.

Robyn nodded. He smiled lightly. "Then me…" he chuckled and let his chin fall to his hand, reminiscing. "My parents caught me fucking another boy when I was thirteen. They were real shits about it. They threw me out, didn't care where I went." He chuckled again, more dryly this time. "I don't think it would have been so bad if I'd been on top…"

Pit looked away. The boy's frank approach to sex was making him uncomfortable. He wanted to change the subject away, but couldn't think of anything. Only one thought popped into his mind; he'd said nothing about the redhead. "What about him?" he asked, nodding past the two on the bed.

Robyn turned to glance. "Who, him?" He turned back. "That's Rhys." He seemed to leave it at that.

After a pause, Pit prodded. "Just 'Rhys'?"

Robyn shrugged. "Yeah, that's all we know about him, other than he's fifteen. Doesn't talk to anyone. Spends all his time either asleep or lying in bed. He won't talk to anyone."

Pit looked past Robyn at the redhead again. The more he looked, the more he realized, _he must be so lonely._ "Has he been here long?" He asked.

"Just a month." He lowered his voice further, so it was easily drowned out in Rhys' direction by the moaning from the bed between them. "He's not taking the whole thing very well."

Pit gave a measured pause, before returning a flat look to Robyn. "And how are you supposed to take something like this 'well', huh?" He asked sharply, though keeping his voice down. He didn't want to start a blazing argument, but he wasn't going to let this callousness slide.

Robyn just shrugged again. "You just got to roll with it, I guess, especially when you've been here as long as we have."

Pit felt concern at that. "How long have you been here?" As he spoke, he did some mental calculations, realizing Robyn wasn't thirteen any more. He was a fair bit older.

"Four years," Robyn said nonchalantly. He indicated the whimpering mass on the bed; Ben was close to climax. "Those two have been here two years, they were brought in close together."

Pit's jaw fell. "Y-years?" He sputtered, receiving a nod in response. In the pause that was left, Ben clearly reached orgasm, gasping and whimpering as the bed shook. He cried out after a moment, but Robyn didn't pay any attention. Pit composed himself as the covers on the bed moved, a black-haired teen with long hair slipping out above Ben and kissing the boy full on the lips. Grateful mewls were heard from the bed before the pair changed positions and began their game anew. Neither seemed to care in the slightest that other people were in the room. "How the hell have you stayed here for _years?_" Pit questioned, stunned.

Again, the teen was unconcerned. "It's better than the alternative." At Pit's pointed stare, he continued. "I told you, I was thrown out of my home. All of us, we've got nowhere to go to. We've all lived rough. You don't understand, Pit, when you don't have a house, a bed, money, food, when you have to struggle every day just to survive, if someone offers you a chance, you end up doing things you wouldn't normally consider."

Pit could understand this. "But that doesn't mean you have to like it. Aren't you trapped here?"

Robyn nodded noncommittally. "I guess. But we've got more here than we had."

"So you don't care you're being used for sex?"

"It's fun if you let it be. Sometimes we go four, five times a night, it feels good and we like it. So what if people get to see us on the 'net?"

Pit just shook his head blankly. "I can't do this. No way. I want to get out of here."

Robyn gently laid a comforting arm on Pit's. "Hey… just relax. There's no way to break this gently, so I'll just say it. He's told you there's no way out, and he's right. I've tried. The doors are locked and outside it's nothing but forest for miles, you get lost so easily. They've got dogs, they can track you easy. Only way you can leave is if they let you."

Pit's jaw was shaking. "I'm- I'm not staying here years," he squeaked. "I gotta get back to Link!"

He hadn't meant to blurt out his name, and he slapped a hand over his mouth when he realized as if he could scoop the word back in, but it was already said.

Robyn's eyes flickered with something… was that disappointment? But after a moment he rubbed Pit's arm comfortingly. "Who's that?"

Pit couldn't look at Robyn, but decided to tell him anyway. He couldn't mop up the spilled word, so he might as well get the subject dropped. "He's my boyfriend. I love him, so damned much." Robyn stroking his arm was helping a little.

The other boy was looking at him with concern. "How the hell did you wind up here?" Pit looked up at him, unwilling to reply. "You're not homeless?" Pit shook his head. After an uneasy moment, the other asked quietly, "Did they… _kidnap_ you?" Pit nodded once. Robyn's eyes looked past Pit for a moment. "Fuck…" he whispered.

Thinking about Link and the abduction left Pit a little unsteady, especially the idea that these boys had been here years. "It was 'cos of those videos…" he whispered. "He said I've got _untapped potential_." He spoke the words venomously.

Robyn sighed. "Damn…"

"He just wants to whore me in front of a camera and make a ton of money," Pit whispered. "I've had that done to me before, I hated it!"

Robyn didn't reply, but Pit could sense he wanted to say something. He met eyes with him again. "What?"

Robyn was uneasy, and hesitant. "There's no easy way to tell you, but you need to know…"

Pit swallowed. This wasn't going to be good. _Uh oh._

"It's not just videos we do…"

A chill ran down Pit's spine. "Then what…?" His mind jumped to a conclusion. He hoped above everything he was wrong.

"They… let other people… fuck us…" Robyn whispered.

A tense silence passed between them. Pit held Robyn's gaze, shaking his head distantly, begging it to be a lie. "No. Oh no…"

Robyn tried to comfort Pit, but to little effect.

"They turned you guys into whores?!" Pit's voice rose rapidly, but Robyn quickly placed his hand before Pit's mouth to muffle the volume. The whimpers and moans behind him didn't stop, so it seemed to have worked. Pit batted away the hand, glaring at the other boy for a moment, before his disbelief returned. He dropped his voice so the same thing didn't happen again. "How can you let other people, _total strangers_, _fuck _you?!"

Robyn shrugged once more. "It makes a lot of money."

Pit's eyes flashed. "It makes _them_ a lot of money!" He hissed.

"Money that pays for food and shelter for us," Robyn said defensively. "And sometimes it's really fun!"

Pit didn't want to hear this. He pulled away from Robyn, hugged the comforter tight around him and rolled onto his side on the bed, facing away from the other boys. He looked at RJ's bed, and the door beyond, and shivered. _He's being fucked right now. Against his will. He just does it 'cos it's easier to go with it. Robyn does it 'cos he likes it. They're not gonna help me. I don't want anyone but Link to ever fuck me again. _Tears pooled in the corner of his eyes, but he found the strength not to cry. _I gave myself to him. And they're gonna turn me into a whore. A filthy, sex-addicted, disease-ridden whore. I won't let them, I won't!_

He was shaking, not heavily, but enough. He shuffled back against the back wall, drawing the comforter around himself and hugging it tightly. _I've gotta get out of here. And fast!_

_..._

_"I see. And how long has Mister Icarus been missing now, sir?"_ The woman's voice continued.

"Um, a day and a half?" Link thought quickly. It was nine in the morning, so a little more than his estimate, but close enough.

_"And this is definitely unusual behavior from him?"_

Link bit his lip, careful about what he said here. When Pit was upset or scared, he knew the youth's first instinct was to run to someone for help. "Not contacting anyone is unusual, yes. I've never known him to switch his phone off."

_"I understand."_ Keys clicked through the phone as the Deputy tapped the information into her computer. Several moments passed. Eventually she spoke again. _"I'm going to need to ask you to clarify what you mean. I understand Mister Icarus was placed in a situation that depressed or scared him. Does he have a history of running away in such situations?"_

Link gritted his teeth. He had to be truthful. "He's done it before, but only once in the time I've known him. That time, he ran to me."

More tapping. _"And since you are currently too far away from him to reach in a practical manner, do you know of someone else he might run to?"_

Link paused. "I… honestly don't know. I don't know a lot about him before I met him, and nothing before he was… about thirteen."

_"You told me he had recently moved across town when you met him, is it possible he has old friends in the area he used to live in?"_

He sighed. "It's possible. I asked his parents and they told me they couldn't name anyone in particular, but he used to go out with people a lot."

_"So, there is a possibility we cannot rule out there?"_

Link grudgingly agreed. "So," he tried, "what happens now?"

_"Bear with me a moment please, sir, I need to put you on hold while I discuss this with my colleagues."_

Link agreed and the line again went silent. In lieu of music, it simply beeped every few seconds. He pulled the phone away from his ear and switched on the speaker, putting it on his desk. He looked up at his computer. Ike was there, on Skype, looking concerned.

Link muted his microphone in case the call was being recorded. "It doesn't sound promising," he admitted.

_"Damn,"_ Ike replied.

The pair had exhausted their remaining options. They'd phoned every place along the coach routes they could find numbers for. Half didn't want to cooperate, most had different staff on that night, and the tiny remainder hadn't seen anything. It felt like they'd been chasing their tails, so Link had been forced to phone the police. The report had been going well so far, but he knew that as soon as they heard his age and that he'd run before, it would soon go downhill.

After a moment, a voice came back on the line. Link picked up the phone, disabled the speaker and switched the microphone back on. "What have your colleagues said?" He asked eagerly, although dreading the response.

_"Hi, yes Mister Ordon, I have discussed Mister Icarus' situation with my colleagues. Unfortunately,"_ Link's dread began to multiply, _"based on what you have told me, his motive does seem to be clear. I understand you are worried about him, and I do agree, a lack of any communication, even telling you he is okay, that is unusual. But we have seen a lot of youths react badly to some situations, some you wouldn't expect, and they feel the need to go somewhere they feel safe. The most logical choice would be his parents, or if he is closer to you as you say, then yes, but with the distance between you, I am drawn to the conclusion that he has sought refuge with an old friend."_

Link groaned quietly.

_"However, Mister Ordon, I do understand your fears. It is unusual, as I have said, for there to be no contact at all, so I will put together a Missing Person report on him. I cannot finalize it at this stage, but if you do not hear from him within another forty-eight hours, phone us back and we will escalate him to a full Missing Person."_

"Forty-eight hours?" Link sighed.

_"I do wish there was more I could do, sir, I really do, but resources are always limited. Without sufficient evidence that he may be in immediate danger, I'm afraid there is nothing more I can do. I'll keep all these details on file. If anything develops, or you have reasonable suspicion he may be at risk, contact us immediately. But based on what you have told me, my colleagues agree that he most likely does not want to be found right now, but he will get back in contact with you as soon as he feels comfortable. I'm sure he's fine and you'll see him very soon."_

_I wish I shared your confidence,_ Link thought to himself. "I appreciate the help."

The Deputy ended the call and Link put the phone back on the desk. He rested his head in his hands. "Damn it, what do we do now?"

_"Seriously, wait two days?" _Ike confirmed.

Link nodded. He sighed gently. "I guess I can't blame them. They see a pattern, they build a structure around it. Kids run away from home, have an adventure for a few days then turn up fine."

Ike grimaced, aware of what he was about to say. _"I don't think Pit's having a grand adventure…"_

Link scowled at him. "No, I doubt he is." He was still angry at Ike, but it was taking a back seat to his concern for Pit. Ike had been a great help, he had to admit; they'd been able to contact twice as many people in the same time, and Ike's direct approach on the phone had crossed people off the list very quickly.

However, the blonde now had to confront the idea that something _had_ happened to Pit. All of this was unusual. It didn't help that Ike had noticed unusual behavior in Soren, and if he hadn't acted on his suspicions the teen probably wouldn't have survived. It chilled him to his core, the idea that something similar could happen to Pit, that any time spent trying to convince himself things would work themselves out, was time Pit didn't have. He felt a need to do something, anything, to try and help, but he just didn't know what.

A moment later, a phone began to ring. It was Ike's. He quickly checked the caller ID. _"It's the hospital!"_ He exclaimed, instantly answering and slamming the phone to his ear. _"Yeah?"_

Link watched Ike listen in silence. He felt a little nervous, hoping this was good news. His mind started playing worst-case scenarios, and he shivered thinking that something bad could happen to Soren while Pit was missing. However, Ike's expression soon changed, at first to surprise, then to elation. He thanked the caller and hung up.

_"Soren's fine. Better than fine. They tried this new treatment and it worked better than they predicted, they think they can bring him out of sedation in a few hours!"_

Link felt a wash of relief. "Fantastic. Oh wow, I'm so pleased." There was a moment's pause, and Link knew what Ike was about to say. "Yeah, go. I know you want to be there when he wakes up. And, _talk_ to him, Ike. It might be what you both need."

Ike nodded seriously, thinking himself lucky that he still had Link's friendship. _"I'll try and be back as soon as I can."_

Link sighed. "Don't. There's nothing more you or I can do. Just spend time with Soren."

_"Okay. Thanks Link. I really hope you hear something while I'm gone."_ Ike ended the call, and Link leant back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. After a while he glanced at the corkboard on the wall, the paths and pushpins adorned with red crosses, the fruitless results of their search, before his gaze settled again on his silent phone.

_Yeah… me too._

...

Drifting.

That was really the only word for it.

It was some state of… relaxation, somewhere between A and B, somewhere _else_. Like drifting down a pleasant river in the middle of summer.

Except it wasn't warm or cool. In fact, if he thought about it, which only occurred in fleeting instants, he couldn't actually feel _anything_ of note. He didn't concern himself much with it. It was peaceful, quiet… it was bliss.

_I'm dead_.

Those two words stirred up no emotions. No panic, no elation. They were just fact. And so he continued to drift.

There were no images, or sounds; just being. And that was the barest definition. _Cogito Ergo Sum_. In a way it was strange; the lack of _anything_ didn't bother him. It was a void, timeless, soundless, lightless. Perhaps that's what made it so peaceful. It lacked _anything_ he could name. Time didn't work here. If anything, it was a cycle, it circled back on itself. The same thoughts occurred many times. Sometimes he remembered, sometimes not, others it was purely déjà vu. As if the stream he floated in was carrying him past the familiar, into the unknown, then back again, without rhyme or reason. And he was fine with it.

Sometimes the question hung, _is this it? Forever?_ It didn't bother him, though. It didn't comfort him either. It just _was_. And just as fleetingly, was gone.

Sometimes the currents brought him close to something. It was warm, bright, like light. But when he reached out for it, he would find he had nothing to reach out with. At that moment it was gone. That was the way it was.

Sometimes he thought he sensed… what were they? _Sounds?_ They didn't reach deep. For all he knew he was wrong, and they weren't sounds at all. They couldn't be sounds. Where he drifted there were no sounds. He accepted this and drifted past them, away from the familiar into the unknown. That was the way it was. There was no point fighting it.

Why would he fight it? What an odd notion. What was there to fight? There was nothing in this void.

And just like that, there was light.

...

Time didn't work here.

Ike swore to that.

Two hours? Three? It felt like he'd been here a week, holding Soren's hand all the time.

Every so often a nurse would come by and check one of the machines, noting down his pulse and blood pressure. That was the only indication he had that time was ticking at all.

The teen on the bed was still the same. Supposedly the sedatives had been removed and the drip now fed him a formula designed to rouse him, but Ike hadn't seen any change. The nurses noted his vitals with clinical efficiency, though with just enough detachment that suggested this was taking too long.

Though he had tried not to let himself get distracted, in ways he was glad for Soren's continued slumber. He'd realized on the drive here that the panic of the last twenty-four hours, whilst on his shoulders, had completely scrambled his mind. He wasn't in a fit state to talk to Soren about anything serious. By rights he should be grovelling at Link's feet for forgiveness after having turned the entire state upside-down and shaken it until Pit fell out.

He wasn't being selfish, by any means. If anything, Soren needed him now. Ike needed to know what to say. There was still the issue that the teen had been unconscious since his… _attempt_. How would he react…? If Doctor Marley was right, Ike thought uncomfortably, Soren wouldn't expect to still be _here_.

The doctor had briefed him on Soren's condition, and had agreed it would be for the best if Ike was the first thing Soren saw on waking. _You're the closest person to him in the entire world, from what I can tell. If he sees how much you care for him, it should convince him to stay._

All manner of thoughts had swirled through Ike's mind this week. Besides the obvious 'why', he'd found himself thinking, what did he feel for Soren? Did he want their relationship to continue? And re-enforced by Marley's words, he wondered if it was selfish to save Soren if the boy wished to end it all… but Ike had to know why.

The biggest obstacle awaiting him was to be Soren's reaction to waking up. There was no avoiding the fact that he'd attempted suicide and been prevented from dying. And if he genuinely wanted to end his life, what would happen when he woke up and realized he'd failed? Ike had envisioned Soren being committed to a psychiatric hospital, the sort of place where everything was padded so he couldn't use it to harm himself. Against the odds, he found himself wondering if that was fair; if someone wished more than anything to take their own life, locking them in a room where they had no choice but to _live_seemed tantamount to torture.

It begged the question; what if Soren woke up but was still determined to go through with it? What if he couldn't be talked out of his choice? Obviously he'd need a _helluva_ good reason, but what if that reason _was_ good enough to justify? There were two options – hand the teen over to the men in white coats and let him live the rest of his life in a Prozac-induced stupor, or stand back and let it happen.

The third option was much more preferable. Break through Soren's defenses find out just why he'd felt there was nothing worth living for, and show him there were things that _were_ worth it. Soren had been leaning on Ike every so often, but now the elder had realized that this was because the teen was walking on a crumbling ledge. He had to get him away from the endless drop just inches away and onto more stable ground.

_"And now you're trembling on a rocky ledge, staring down into a heartless sea, done with life on the razor's edge, nothing's what you thought it would be…"_ Ike whispered to himself. He began stroking Soren's hand as the lyrics came to him. His voice grew more confident and he began to sing softly; he couldn't carry a tune to save his life, but he wasn't concerned.

_"All of us get lost in the darkness, dreamers learn to steer by the stars. All of us do time in the gutter, dreamers turn to look at the cars… Turn around, turn around, turn around… Turn around and walk the razor's edge… Don't turn your back…"_Chills swept Ike's body as Soren's eyes began to flutter. He swallowed. The teen was waking up. He stood up, leaning into Soren's line of sight, still holding his hand._ "Don't turn your back and slam the door on me…" _ He finished softly. He gripped Soren's hand as the boy's eyes began to open.

"Soren?" Ike whispered.

At this, Soren's lids opened weakly, although his eyes were not properly focused. For a few moments the air was still. Then the teen blinked, and in a tiny voice, one that would have been lost if the slightest sound crossed between them, whispered, "Ike…?"

Ike squeezed Soren's hand, placing his other hand over the top and holding tight, as if Soren might slip away from him if he let go. "Yeah, it's me," he whispered.

Soren breathed slowly, his eyes timidly trying to slide into focus, as if unwilling. His mind was a severe mess. Thoughts, memories and sensations were jumbled together. He couldn't tell what was the most recent memory. All of his thoughts from his coma were drifting through his mind, somewhere closer to the back, in the kind of sensory scramble left in the wake of some bizarre dream. Parts of him were still to awaken.

The teen asked no more questions and was completely silent. Not even a 'where am I?' as Ike had prepared for. It didn't completely surprise the elder; he doubted Soren was the type to ask for anything he might be able to work out himself. Instead, he just watched, holding Soren's hand as the teen ventured cautiously towards awareness. It was a slow process, and he did not move. Only the younger's deeper breathing indicated he had not drifted back to sleep.

This was the tense part. Marley accepted that having a shrink present could be a bad call, but had suggested that Ike only answer Soren's questions. _Don't say, 'welcome back, you're all right, you survived!'_ _or something like that until you know what state of mind he's in. If he doesn't remember, for now we don't want to remind him. You need to avoid causing him further anguish._ Ike had given the doctor a very pointed look at the last remark but nodded in understanding. Wait and see how Soren reacts.

Each moment passed like an hour as Soren lay there silently, but Ike could tell he was contemplating. The teen was thinking hard, piecing things together. Eventually, Ike felt the younger grip his hand firmly.

"It didn't work…" Soren said in a small voice. When his eyes opened, Ike saw lament cross his features. It chilled him.

"No," Ike whispered, trying to sound reassuring. "I found you just in time." He had begun massaging Soren's hand unconsciously.

Soren gave him a weak questioning glance. "You found me?"

Ike nodded.

The black haired boy sighed. There was that unasked question hanging in the air; both could feel it, and for a moment both wanted to ask it. _Why?_

Soren turned his head away from Ike. "I don't want to tell you," he said bluntly.

Ike softly reached over, caught Soren's chin and gently turned the boy's head back towards him. The teen wasn't weak enough not to fight it, but all the same he allowed Ike to do it. He looked up at Ike.

"Well, I want to know."

Soren blinked slowly. "No, you don't…"

"Yes, I do," Ike said as firmly as a low voice would offer. He squeezed Soren's hand warmly, doing all he could to reassure the teen. His voice became soft once more. "Please Soren… let me into your world. You don't have to walk alone…"

"It's… not nice, Ike, it's really not something you're going to-" Soren's protests were cut off as Ike leant down and placed his lips to the younger boy's, stunning him to silence.

The kiss completely destroyed the pair's already fragile understanding of time. Everything stopped. This was the first time Ike had ever kissed Soren on the lips, and the younger was so shocked he couldn't react. But after a moment, as the weight of what was happening finally made itself known, he gave in. A tingle swept through his body as he realized this was something he _wanted_, oh so desperately, and yet something he had forbade himself. He kissed back, simply, weak with the grogginess of the coma, but Ike felt it all the same.

When finally they separated, leaving Soren completely speechless and slightly breathless, Ike offered him a warm smile. "You don't have to be alone," he reiterated. He placed both his hands over Soren's again, caressing it. "Please, Soren, I want to know. I want to help you. I want to understand you."

Soren eventually found his voice, still overwhelmed by the kiss. "Okay…" With it, he gave a tiny smile, one that to Ike was as close to the face of hope as anything he'd ever seen. "It's a long story, of course…"

Ike smiled back, drawing the chair to him so he could still look straight at Soren. "And I want to hear it all."

Soren paused, blinking slowly as he worked out where to begin. The smile slowly fell from his face. He didn't know how to pull punches, but instead only knew how to deliver facts. "I was involved with underage sex when I was younger."

This had exactly the expected effect. Ike couldn't reply, but his mouth began to slowly fall open.

Soren continued. "When I was eight, my mother kicked my father out. He was an alcoholic, and used to beat us both when he got drunk. It didn't help things though; it meant she had no money. It forced her to work long hours doing petty jobs, and I had to work as well to pay the rent. I had to skip school sometimes. Then she started bringing men home, and they weren't much better than my father. They never hit her, but they wore her down with their words, and they hated me. They wanted her but not the child that came with her." He sighed, blinking slowly. "I ran away when I was twelve. I couldn't take it any longer.

"I lived rough for six months; in alleys, under freeway bridges… stealing and begging to live day to day… it was so bad. Then Shinon found me under the bridge. He offered me a place to stay, and food… it was everything I could want. I didn't know what he meant by 'some love' he wanted in return. I was young, I knew I shouldn't talk to strangers, but I was so hungry and the weather was getting cold. I probably wouldn't have survived the winter without him.

"He was nice at first. He gave me food and a warm bed, and didn't want anything in return except affection, he liked it when I cuddled up to him in the evenings. But after a few months he started doing things. Showering with me. Making me undress. Taking photos. Playing with me." Soren sighed. "He took my virginity on my thirteenth birthday. Said it was his present to me. He didn't force me, and he made it fun, but that was how it started. He took photos of me, then started videoing me doing stuff. He told me people wanted to see me, and it would make us money. I relied on him for everything; there was no way I could say no.

"Sometimes, one or two of his friends would visit to have sex with me. I really don't know how I didn't catch any diseases. I was having sex with older men twice a week, sometimes three times. Often he'd film it and post it online." He paused. "He turned me into a porn star by the time I was fourteen."

Ike had remained completely silent, his mouth open, his eyes wide in disbelief, utterly hooked on every word Soren spoke.

Soren closed his eyes for a few moments, wondering what to say next. When he opened them, he looked straight at Ike. "What I tell you next, you don't tell _anyone_ else, okay?"

Ike instantly nodded.

Soren sighed. "Last year, Shinon made me fuck Pit. Zelgius drugged him, then dragged him over to our place and got us to make a video. Pit had no idea what he was doing, and he doesn't remember what happened." His voice began to lose its stability ever so slightly. "I knew he wasn't all right, but I didn't get a choice. I screwed him in front of a camera and the whole world saw. A couple of weeks later Shinon brought in another kid to do a threesome." He suddenly fixed Ike with a remorseful stare. "How Pit even talks to me, I don't know. He knows what I did. So does Link." Ike didn't respond, but Soren felt his hand squeezed again. He sighed. "When Zelgius was killed, Shinon flipped; he didn't want to be exposed, so he got together all the money he made and we were going to run for it. But I was so disgusted by what he'd forced us to do… what he did to someone like Pit… I managed to drug him, grab the money, called the cops on him and ran. That shootout in Woodvale was him. It was better than he deserved."

Soren paused, working up the courage to go through the most recent events in his life. "I always knew Shinon couldn't be running his outfit alone. Doing anything like that for profit needs a lot of people in a lot of places so the tracks don't lead anywhere. And those people found me." The stability in his voice was cracking further. "They sent me an email, told me they wanted me back cos I was too valuable. They didn't give me a choice! They said they knew where I was and they'd take me! God Ike, I never want to go back to it!"

Ike was on his feet and leaning over Soren; the black haired teen leant up to hug Ike fiercely. The elder put his hands around Soren, holding him and stroking his hair. The younger didn't sob, but he shook every so often, and Ike could feel tears wetting his shirt. "Shh…" he whispered. "I won't let that happen, Soren, you're safe… You're safe…"

He whispered those soothing words to Soren until the teen had calmed. It took a while, but eventually he regained control of his emotions. Ike had been here to support him when he needed it; he really could trust the older boy.

When Soren gently pulled back to look at Ike, an unspoken conversation rushed past them. Soren's eyes voiced silent words of thanks, and Ike's told of his greater understanding of the younger. The elder had taken Soren at his word; he had no reason to disbelieve a word he'd said, and it was clear this was the reason why he'd tried to take his own life.

"Ike…" Soren whispered.

"Let me help you, Soren," came the gentle reply, delivered with a radiant smile. "I want to."

Soren's eyes must have betrayed the question, but the black-haired boy knew what was coming. He let Ike say it anyway. He wanted to hear the words spoken,

"Because…" Ike's voice lowered drastically. "I… like you, Soren. I really do."

Soren felt something happen inside him; as if, long hidden by the clouds, the Sun had become visible once more, just a sliver, but it was enough. A gentle warmth spread through his body, the warmth of hope. There _was_ something worth living for, and it made the younger boy feel happier than he had in many, many years. The widest smile he had ever shown took to his face. Like the elder, he couldn't trust his voice, so he whispered back, "I like you too, Ike… you've been here for me when I needed you." He gently spread his arms and Ike took the hint, leaning in and hugging the teen powerfully. Soren felt at home in those arms, so at peace for once in a very long time. Closing his eyes, he muttered into Ike's shirt, "Thank you for saving my life."

Ike kissed the top of Soren's head. "I'm here for you, Soren. I'm here for you."


End file.
